Second Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 2nd Sunday in Lent are:

1. Genesis 12: 1-4a
   
2. Psalms 33: 4-5, 18-19, 20, 22
   
3. 2 Timothy 1: 8b-10
   
4. Matthew 17: 1-9
   

• Leaving it all
  
• Abram likely had a pretty good life back in Ur of the Chaldees.  He likely had the warm embrace of family, familiar places, a community that supported him.  His wife Sarah was from there.  Journeys can take many forms, the difference between "here" and "there" can be vast in some ways, barely noticeable in others.
• What is a journey that you have been on, one which changed you profoundly?
• How did you get started on that journey?
• How much did you know about where you were going?
• Are you still glad that you went?
• What made you start?
  

• Earn my trust
  
• Trust is precious.  Without it, working with someone else becomes nearly impossible.  Trust  grows slowly, sometimes over years.  Yet if that trust is violated it is gone in a moment.  Sometimes that trust can never be recovered.
  
• Do you trust God?
• What has He done to earn that trust?
•  If you could dictate terms with God, what would you like to have Him do to prove to you that He can be trusted?
• Has God ever violated your trust?
• Have you forgiven Him?
  

• Our share of hardship
• Do you think that hardship can be rewarding?
• If you are totally "in the right place at the right time" with God, is it easy?  Does our following God in such circumstances "just flow", or is that too much to ask?
• How do you tell whether hardship in life isn't just because you "took a wrong turn" somewhere in your following God?
• How do you tell that you're where you're supposed to be?
  

• Rise and do not be afraid
  
• Human touch has been corrupted by violence so much of late.  We were meant to be healing for each other, a means of connection, our very bodies a living invitation into a larger community.  Instead, so many use their flesh to threaten and coerce.
• Think of a time when human touch meant a great deal to you.  It might have been a hug that you received during a tough time, the gentle embrace of a loved one, a blessing given you by a friend.
• Would that have been as meaningful without the actual contact?
• When was the last time that you healed anyone with your touch?
• Why do you think that the Gospels record so many instances of Jesus touching others?
• How can we be more like that?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. What is God calling me to journey toward this Lent?
2. Where do I need to talk about God about my lack of trust in Him?
   
3. Is God calling me to a new right place and time?
   
4. Where is God calling me to find courage to touch another?
   

One Last Star Rise

My father used to tell me that the stars are always there.
We just cannot see them during the day because their light
Is drowned out by the light of the Sun, so much nearer than they.

I watch the sun setting one last time over the familiar hills
Of my homeland, the burial place of my ancestors.
Turning the nearby lake into liquid gold with the last rays of day.

Then, one by one, some more boldly than the others,
The stars begin to show, as if summoned by the sun's quiet exit,
They take their places on the stage of the night, to say good bye.

Tomorrow I, my family, flocks, and herds will leave this place,
This gentle vale that has sheltered me all my life.
To make our way to a new home, in a distant land that I have never seen.

My wife has said her good byes already, for we start at dawn.
She looks to me with anguish and determination in her eyes -
Knowing that we will never return.  Determined to find what I'm looking for.

All that I really want is the peace of place -
Of being in the right place, doing what's needed, at the right time
Hitting just the right note at the right time in the orchestra of life.

Being totally at home, at peace, ineffably holy before God
Able to live totally His, all out, no holds barred.
I just never thought it would be so fearful, hurt so much.

The stars tell me that even if I travel so far away
That they will no longer rise above the curve of the horizon
That they are there for me, just as present as ever.

So I memorize their shapes, the pictures in the sky that they paint.
Knowing that my old friends will be ever faithful to me.
Even if I cannot see them.

The tell me that God is always faithful, always there.
Even when the immanent, the day to day blot out his face from view.
He is there, He is here, supporting me, just as surely as this staff in my hand.

All that I have to do is lift up my eyes to see Him,
Stretch out my hand to grasp His,
And let my trust run riot, my faith burn furious, and my feet -

Let my feet carry me over the next horizon, beyond imagination
Beyond all sight,
Into what only He can see.

Shalom!

First Sunday of Lent

Our readings for the 1st Sunday in Lent are:

1. Genesis 2: 7-9, 3: 1-7
   
2. Psalms 51: 3-4, 5-6, 12-13, 17
   
3. Romans 5: 12-19
   
4. Matthew 4: 1-11
   

• Avoiding sin
  
• Most of us know some of our weaknesses, and have the sense to avoid them.  The alcoholic avoids parties that they know will be swimming in alcohol.  The person who lashes out in anger will avoid those who perversely seek to arouse that anger.  Down through the ages, folks have wondered what Adam and Eve could have done to avoid bringing sin into the world.
• What is something that you do to avoid the occasion to sin?
• How did you come to that practice?
• Do you think that God would ever call you to set that avoidance aside for a greater good?

• Awareness of sin
• Sin in our lives is easy to miss.  Just the daily challenges of survival can occupy all of our available energy and concentration to the point that we miss our own yearnings for closeness to God, we settle for something less than what He has to offer us, and we die a little inside.
• How do you tell when you're straying from God's best for you?
• How much effort does it take to be sensitive to those messages?
• How might you be more sensitive to those warning signs?
• What can you do to make that increased sensitivity a part of your daily life?
  

• Receiving the abundance
  
• Presumption and despair are two sins that seem unrelated.  Presumption tells us that our sin is not that great, that it is not mortal, that God would never exclude us for what we have done.  Despair tells us that God's mercy is not wide enough to cover our sin, that God could never admit one such as us into heaven.  God offers hope.
• What is it in heaven that you hope for?
• How has that hope matured, deepened, evolved through the years in your life?
• Do you think that your hope is better founded now than it was in the past?
• What can you do to deepen that hope further?
  

• Temptation strategy
  
• The enemy of human nature (as Ignatius terms Satan) is nothing if not clever.  Tempting us with our basic needs, calling into question our identity before God are hard things to turn away from.  But the hardest temptation might be seize what we had once, and have given up for something even better.
• What are some things that you've given up in your walk with Jesus?  Maybe a promising job so that you could be close to your kids or to care for an aging relative, moving from one ministry to take up another, giving up the freshness of your youth that you might be more seasoned.
• How do you feel about that decision?
• If you had it to do over again, would you?
• How did you make that discernment?

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Am I putting myself in sin's way?
2. Where is God calling me to be more aware of myself and my sin??
   
3. How strong is my hope?
   
4. Am I too attached to anything in my life?
   

Where are you?

I looked for you in our garden today.
The one that we have tended together.
Hand in hand, heart to heart,
Gently coaxing the fruit of the field,
That you might live abundantly.

Through you, I could feel the soft, yielding loam
The eager soil, ever ripe for fertilization.
I felt the sun on your back,
The gentle coolness of spring water,
Refreshing you as you drink, and give thanks.

In your eyes, I could see the sun's abundant rays,
And know that it was all good,
All fertile, all life-giving,
All a celebration of my love poured out
To and for you, and all the cosmos.

And now, now you have banished me.
Your pride has severed our communion
You and I no longer able to touch,
To hold,
To listen, each to the other's heartbeat.

My grief is as great as my love.
My heart is consumed in an ache,
That I can find no cure for -
As I longingly watch you stumble
In the darkness that you have chosen over me.

In your confusion,
All that you can think of is who to blame.
You don't even miss what you've thrown away.
You don't even know where your nakedness comes from,
Just that you no longer know where home has vanished to.

Down, down, down through the centuries,
I call your children telling them:
Come back to me, with all you heart,
I am merciful, merciful is your God.
I offer you light and wholeness.

Just tear down the walls of indifference,
Pride, greed, fear.
And trust that I Am who, what you have always needed.
Come to your true home
That's been there for you from eternity to eternity.

Shalom!

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 7th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Leviticus 19: 1-2, 17-18
   
2. Psalms 103: 1-2, 3-4, 8, 10, 12-13
   
3. 1 Corinthians 3: 16-23
   
4. Matthew 5: 38-48
   

• Reproving each other
  
• None of us likes to be corrected.  Even if we 100% agree with the correction, we hate to hear (or see) that correction.  We get defensive, and often say things that we regret later.  By then it is very difficult to ask forgiveness and start the healing process in that damaged relationship.
• If someone you love is not living up to their potential, is it more loving to keep silent, or to let them know that you are concerned?
• Is there any solid way to make sure that your correction will be taken in the way that you mean it?
• Is there any solid way to make sure that you mean that correction the way that you like to think that you do?
• How might be the best way to "remove the beam from your own eye before removing the splinter from your brother's eye?"
  

• Finding the kindness in God
  
• In the first reading, God calls us to be holy, for He is holy.  That holiness has many facets, one of them is kindness.  But God's kindness can sometimes be hard to find, or recognize.
• How has God been kind to you during your life?
• How did that kindness of God change you?
• Is that kindness still changing you?
• Have you become more kind because of that?
  

• Tabernacles or tabernacle?
  
• Looking at ourselves and seeing that we are temples of the Holy Spirit is a sobering reflection.  But what if it doesn't end there?  What if we as a community, with all of our hurts, warts, and weaknesses are also a temple of the Holy Spirit?
• What do you think a temple of the Holy Spirit is supposed to accomplish?
• Is that possible if the temple has been through trauma?
• Is there a communal healing needed in our church, and beyond?
• Where do we start?
  

• The secret of happiness
  
• Fr. Peter was often heard to say that to be happy, we needed to seek holiness.  Those around us have different priorities.  We are taught in a thousand examples that security, fame, plentiful liquid assets, and a well-appointed summer home in the Hamptons are all ways to happiness.  Jesus leads in other directions.
• What makes you truly happy?
• How do you tell true happiness from something less than what God has for you?
• Have you ever been disappointed by something/someone that you thought was going to make you happy, but did not?
• Is it necessarily the case that greater happiness comes with greater freedom?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Is there any hatred or anger that God is calling me to set aside?
2. Am I known for my kindness?
   
3. How is God calling me to build a stronger, more centered us?
   
4. Where is God offering me happiness that I might be afraid to venture?
   

It's All Holy

I try to remember to bless myself when I pass a Church.
Catholic or not.  God's Presence is probably there.
And I'm not taking any chances.

In the blessing I salute the acts of generosity,
The hands that have reached out to touch the weak,
The absorbent shoulder that others can cry on.

I touch the kindness and mercy that has been celebrated there,
The healing that has restored hope to the despondent,
The warmth of hugs given and received.

I hear words of comfort borne of love and courage.
Love that bears the hurt of another,
Courage that opens a heart in tender empathy.

I smell the aromas of a thousand community potlucks,
Gallons of coffee brewed and consumed at AA meetings,
Fellowship rejoiced in over bread generously given and received.

All of it sacramental,
All of it conveying Christ intimately and immanently,
All of it present through all time.

And if present through all time,
That Presence is Present through all space.
And I know that, to honor that Presence, 

To honor that Presence will take more than a gesture on my part.
It requires that I open myself to the knitting together
Of God's children wherever I find them.

Every place, every time, every circumstance
Is charged with the Presence of God if I let it.
It's All Holy if I can just open up to that Holiness.

Shalom!

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 6th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Sirach 15: 15-20
   
2. Psalms 119: 1-2, 4-5, 17-18, 33-34
   
3. 1 Corinthians 2: 6-10
   
4. Matthew 5: 17-37
   

• An understanding God
  
• God understands us.  He knows why we do what we do, why we say what we say, why we think what we think.  Too bad there's no way to book a weekly appointment with God as a therapist.  Or is there?
• How many people in your life do you think you truly understand?
• How did you get to be so familiar with them?
• How does that familiarity benefit you?
• How does that familiarity benefit them?
• What good does it do you that God understands you?
  

• Praying for the desire
  
• Depending on your body build, it's generally about a foot between your head and your heart.  But somehow, getting something that is crystal clear to your intellect into your heart can be quite a journey.  One such journey is getting a desire for the better things in life, such as humility, patience, courage, good judgement, and so on.
• Have you ever wanted some grace, like patience, and were afraid to pray for it?
• What do you think would happen if you prayed for the desire for that gift?
• How about praying for the desire to pray for the desire for that gift?
• What are you afraid of about that prayer?
  

• The slow growth of wisdom
  
• I have come to believe that wisdom is holistic.  That is, it's more than mere knowledge of Scripture, or the writings of the mystics, or even knowledge of famous Jesuit poets like Gerard Manley Hopkins.  Rather wisdom is the result of a life lived intentionally, an inner compass that gradually brings the outside world into sharper and sharper focus.
• Who are some people in your life that you would consider wise?
• How do you know that they have this wisdom?
• How do you think that they got there?
• How is there wisdom benefiting the community?
• How could you benefit more from that wisdom?
  

• Asking the hard questions
  
• Our days go by so fast, it's easy to let them just blur one into the next until something comes along in life that forces us to hit the "pause" button for awhile.  Ignatius of Loyola required his companions to daily pray the examen prayer.
• When did you feel particularly close to God today?
• When did He feel far away?
• What was the difference between those two times?
• Is there anything that you can learn from either or both of those times?
• Are you grateful for either or both of those times?
• How are those experiences changing you?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Am I willing to let God speak to me my secret name, to call forth from me who I truly am?
2. Where might God be beckoning me forward into something new?
   
3. Where is God growing true wisdom in my life?
   
4. How is God calling me to greater closeness today?
   

Steps of Trust

Surely God will defend me from all woe.
For I am His and He is mine.
I trust God to defend me from all ill
That I may demonstrate to those around me
How generously God treats His elect.

Well, maybe not.

Surely God will never allow anything
That I don't know how to handle.
God in His infinite wisdom will make sure
That I'm completely prepared for every
Every thing that comes into my life.

Well, maybe not.

Surely God will never allow anything
That is too much for me, to enter my life.
God knows me better than I myself.
He knows what I can sustain and what I cannot.
He would never take me past my breaking point.

Well, maybe not.

One thing, no two, I know I can count on.
God will never leave me nor forsake me.
In spite of how I feel.
And God can bring good out of misfortune -
If I have but the courage to let Him.

My only armor is gratitude,
My only defense is trust.
Gratitude for all that is set before me
Trust that God is there to lead me.
Teach me gratitude and trust oh Lord.

That will have to be enough.

Shalom!

Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 5th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 58: 7-10
   
2. Psalms 112: 4-5, 6-7, 8-9
   
3. 1 Corinthians 2: 1-5
   
4. Matthew 5: 13-16
   

• Anonymous vindication
  
• Vindication is proof that someone or some cause is right, justified.  But vindication doesn't need an audience.  In fact, I suspect that the vindication that God grants His own often goes unnoticed by most folks.  Which can only make you wonder whether such vindication is really worth it.
• How do you help those who are less fortunate than you are?
• Does that ministry need to be without pay to be meaningful?
• Does it have to be totally unappreciated to be meaningful?
• What do you get out of that ministry?
• How do you know that's where you belong?
  

• Enduring justice
  
• Each of us has an expiration date.  Thankfully, most of us have no idea when that is, but it's there none the less.  My own father once told me that he felt like a failure because he felt that he was not leaving a legacy to his children.
  
• Once you're gone, what of your life would you want to endure?
• What or how much of that legacy are you contributing to today?
• Most of us are probably going to die in our sleep.  But just suppose that you could choose what you were doing at the moment that death takes you.  What would that be?
  

• Demonstrating God's power
  
• Power in our world is a very distorted quantity.  When asked what makes a person powerful, most will respond with things like wealth, prestige, charisma, lofty position.  None of those is wrong in its proper place.
• Who are some people that you know of whose lives show the power of God?
• What sort of power is that?  How is it manifest?
• Do they inspire you?
• In what way?
  

• Being salt and light, together
  
• Reaching out to others is the best way for us to become more vital, more spirit-led, more alive.  Yet it's often difficult to find room for that in our lives.  As a community, we are always looking for new ways to get more people involved.  How can we get involved in more people?
  
• What are some ways that we, as a community might reach out to more folks in need?
• What are some ways that we, as a community might reach out to a broader set of needs?
• Where do we start?
• How do we know if we are doing the right things?
• How do we know if we are doing the things right?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Am I content to minister for the sake of those that I minister to alone?
2. What legacy am I building in my life today, this week, this year?
   
3. Where is God looking to show His power through my life?
   
4. How can my life be a source of joy to others?
   

Listening into Listening

Welcome, have a seat please.
Let's just close our eyes together, become aware of our breath.
Give our bodies permission to relax for a little while.
Breathe in through the nose, and gently out through the mouth.
We're in no hurry here.  And just know that God is as near as your breath.

I'm afraid that I'm losing my mind.
Ever since my beloved died,
Nothing makes sense anymore.
I feel like a pocket watch that looks perfect on the outside,
But the mainspring is broken.

You sound surprised by that.

I feel so helpless.  Nothing seems to work anymore.
I get up in the morning,
And it takes me moments to remember that they are gone.
It all still feels so unreal.
I think I'm losing my mind!

What did you think was going to happen, when you lost your beloved?

I gave up on trying to figure out why they left.
I gave up on trying to figure out why God would take them.
But, but, I would think that God would be more comfort now, when I really, really need Him.
I've served Him all my life,
My beloved and I have served Him as long as we've been married.

You feel that God is not holding up His end of a bargain?

I'm angry,
I feel betrayed by the one  that I counted on most.
The one in all the Universe that I thought would be there ...
He's gone.
I pray and pray, and nothing happens.  I'm so ashamed.

What makes you think that God has abandoned you?

 Why wouldn't He?
You should hear me scream aloud when I pray.
If I could, I'd leave me too.
No adoration, no worship, no thanks.
Just anger, frustration, fatigue, complaints.

How do you think that God feels about all of this?

What?
I have to imagine that He's sad too.
I know that he loved, and loves my beloved,
Maybe even more than I do.
I have to believe that He grieves for my grieving.

Can you imagine God, here, now, sitting next to you, holding your hand?
Can you take some time daily to sit with Jesus?
Call it meditation, call it prayer, call it whatever you like.
You can still be angry, frustrated, and fatigued.
But you are not alone.

Shalom!

Fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 4th Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Zephaniah 2:3; 3: 12-13
   
2. Psalms 146: 6-7, 8-9, 9-10
   
3. 1 Corinthians 1: 26-31
   
4. Matthew 5: 1-12a
   

• Speaking the truth in love
  
• Telling someone the truth can be difficult.  Ironically, it can be hardest when speaking to our friends.
• Has there been a time when you felt compelled to tell the truth, and you knew that it would make you unpopular?
• What made you decide to do the right thing?
• How did that turn out?
• Would you do it again?
  

• Blessed the stranger
  
• The Holy Family were refugees just after Jesus was born.  They had to flee to Egypt to escape the slaughter that king Herod initiated to remove a possible threat to his throne.  While they were in Egypt, they were strangers, without friends or family to help them.
• Who are some strangers that you have welcomed?
• Why did you welcome them?
• Do you think that welcome did any good?
• Would you do it again?
  

• Improvement plan
  
• Most of us have done many things to improve ourselves.  Getting a college degree, studying for a certificate, choosing to support a ministry in our parish.  If you were to compile a spiritual resume, you might be impressed by all that you have done, who you have become.
• In the end, how was it that you were able to achieve all of that?
• What does that tell you about your own character?
• What does that tell you about God's character?
  

• Rejoicing in persecution
  
• For most of us, all it takes is for one person to hate you, and you begin to second-guess yourself, see yourself from their vantage point, wonder whether you are as bad as all that.  Instead, Jesus calls us to gaze on Him in the face of opposition.
• Do you think that every true follower of Jesus is going to be misunderstood, mistreated, distrusted at some point in their lives?
• Have you ever been misunderstood for trying to do the right thing?
• Did that misunderstanding impact your prayer life?
• How did God answer your prayer?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to be prophetic?
2. Who in my life might God be calling me to welcome?
   
3. How has God blessed me in my life.
   
4. Where is God offering me courage?
   

Humility Prayer

God of my ancestors,
Give me clarity of sight
That penetrates the smoke and haze
Of always getting more and more.

Help me to see past my deep rooted desire for security
And look for security in You alone.
Help me to thirst for your simplicity
That I might find freedom in just enough.

Give me the desire to be Your Presence
To the outcast, the voiceless, the powerless.
Fill me with Your empathy
That I might have the ears to hear their cries.

Give me courage to take the first step
On a journey toward a dimly viewed Promised Land
Even though all of the rest of the steps are hidden from sight
Let me see those who stand ready to lead me in Your way.

Grant me strength in my prayer
To extend my hand to others.
Even though I see how truly weak I am.
Let me find just enough strength in you to lift up another.

And if others don't understand me,
Give me strength to love them too.
So that they will someday see a spark of You in Me.
As I try to follow You.

Shalom!

Third Sunday in Ordinary Time

Our readings for the 3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time are:

1. Isaiah 8: 23 - 9:3
   
2. Psalms 27: 1, 4, 13-14
   
3. 1 Corinthians 1: 10 - 13, 17
   
4. Matthew 4: 12 - 23
   

• Forgiveness is not a reset button
  
• Forgiveness, at its root, is all about relationships.  To forgive is allow healing to start.  But forgiveness doesn't make the hurt go away as though it never happened.
• When was the last time that you truly forgave someone?
• How did that change the way that you looked at them?
• How did that forgiveness change you as a person?
• Was it worth it?
  

• Contemplation
  
• Most of us struggle to find time for contemplative prayer.  We always wonder whether we're "doing it right" or not.  And there is always the nagging question in your mind whether there is not something else that you really should be doing.
• How do you do contemplative prayer?
• How has that helped you?
• How much change in your life do you think it would take before someone would describe you as a contemplative?
• How would you start?
  

• Idolatry is so easy
  
• We all want a strong sense of identity.  But that seems to be harder and harder as divisions among us create more and more distinctions based on how we feel about various things within out culture, politics, and religion.
• If someone asked you for your "elevator speech" defining what you believe to be the most important truths in ten seconds, what would you say?
• If their elevator speech agreed with yours 100%, would you conclude that the two of you could share your faith with each other?
• How do you know whether it's "safe" to open yourself up to another, tell them what you really think and feel, and listen to what they have to say?
  

• Restoration
  
• These passages in which Jesus calls His disciples always strike me as pretty stark.  He expects immediate obedience, regardless of the cost to them, their families, their communities.
• What are some occasions when Jesus called you to follow him?
• How did that happen in your life?
• What made you willing and able to respond to that call?
• Do you think that we are always going to be ready for God's call in our lives?
• What can we do to help us to listen better?
  

• Preparation for Reconciliation
  

1. Where is God calling me to forgive someone that I'm having trouble forgiving?
2. How can I be more contemplative?
   
3. Where can I reach out to others who believe differently than I do, who still serve God none the less.
   
4. Where is God calling me today?
   

There they go

When I was young, fishing with my father, I hated mending the nets.
They were smelly, often stiff and tangled.
The mending process had to be methodical, and thorough.
Else, the next time that we strained those nets,
They might burst, and we lose our precious catch.

Then I learned to appreciate the peace of it all.
Until the mending was done, there was nothing else.
I did not have to worry about my younger siblings.
Chores around the house would have to wait.
My company were other fishermen, and the waves lapping at the boat.

Later still, mending those nets became a form of prayer.
I learned to let that peace soak into me,
And I found God himself in each knot that had to be replaced,
Each strand that needed to be carefully restored.
The mending process my small contribution to ongoing Creation.

And I learned to say a prayer with each knot.
Asking God to watch over my family,
My village,
My synagogue.
Keep them safe, and most of all, close to Him.

I had hoped that my sons, James and John
Would follow in my footsteps, and become fishermen.
Continue unbroken the family business
That has been our sustenance for generations,
Our contribution to our village.  Our identity.

Instead, they took off after Jesus without a backward glance.
None of us knowing when we would meet again.
None of us knowing where this chapter in their lives would take them.
I opened my mouth to recall them to their duty.
And realized that their duty, and mine, was to God alone.

I think about them while I'm mending my nets.
Wondering where following Jesus is taking them.
Wondering what they will tell their children one day
About how they were called to this adventure,
And how it changed their lives.

And I sit here and wonder:
If this new life of theirs is so important,
What does that say about the life that I still lead?
Does God still need me as a simple fisherman?
Will I ever receive a call from the blue?

Shalom!