KO'ed? OK!2/26/2019 Mark the evangelist is such a wonderful storyteller. In yesterday’s Gospel (Mk 9:14-29), which follows the story of the Transfiguration, Jesus is immediately confronted with the suffering of a young boy and his father’s distress. Coming from a “high”, a transcendent moment of mystical union, Jesus returns to a chaotic scene of suffering and distress. In typical Markan fashion, he describes this in vivid detail. “Teacher, I have brought to you my son possessed by a mute spirit. Wherever it seizes him, it throws him down; he foams at the mouth, grinds his teeth, and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive it out, but they were unable to do so.” Jesus doesn’t react immediately but questions the boy’s father further. And for a brief moment Mark lets us see Jesus’ exasperation. Yes, Jesus did get exasperated! And his reaction is understandable coming from the mystical experience of love, light and peace that he has just known on the mountaintop. How often in our lives does it happen that everything comes together and then falls apart? The most honest moment in the story comes with the familiar words that the father speaks in his desperation. “I do believe, help my unbelief!” Does this resonate with your experience? I know it does with mine. I want to believe him when Jesus says “Everything is possible to the one who has faith”. But when you are confronted with human suffering it is difficult to summon up the wherewithal to believe that everything will be ok. There are too many times when everything is not OK, when you are KOed by life and its unpredictability. Is faith predicated on positive outcomes? Isn’t faith really a ‘way of life’ that is grounded in a profound trust in God? For me these days “faith” is not about believing that everything will be OK but rather having been KOed, finding the courage, strength, wherewithal to keep going. Today’s scripture comes from the book of Sirach (2:1-11) and may offer us a balanced approach to living in a way that we are not crippled by our fears and doubts. Accept whatever befalls you, when sorrowful, be steadfast, and in crushing misfortune be patient; For in fire gold and silver are tested, and worthy people in the crucible of humiliation. Trust God and God will help you; trust in God, and God will direct your way; be in awe of God and grow old therein. KOed? OK! Go Figure!2/23/2019 2-23
Go Figure! I’m very grateful for the responses that I received from my post “I’m Melting”. It’s good to know that from time to time you hit a “chord”, which resonates with another’s experience of God’s graciousness. In the post I mentioned a “transfiguring” moment when there is a “breakthrough” and you know that God is “with you and for you”. The Transfiguration story in the Gospel is, I think, my absolute favorite. So what to my wondering eyes should appear in my emails this morning but the readings of the day from the USCCB website. And lo and behold, today’s Gospel is the Transfiguration. Go Figure! As you know, in the story Jesus is seen conversing with Moses (40 years in the desert) and Elijah (40 days of flight). And the story mirrors the Baptism of Jesus after which he spent (40 days and nights in the desert). And here I am after 40 years of ordained ministry trying to “figure” out what’s next. Go Figure! As many of you reading this reflection know, the Transfiguration story was the inspiration for a song whose lyrics I wrote on a parish retreat at Eastern Point Retreat House. Paul Melley composed the music for this song, "You Will Know" and can be found on iTunes. It speaks of Moses (1st verse), Elijah (2nd verse), Jesus (3rd verse) All of us (4th verse). Take off your shoes, this is holy ground you walk on Open your eyes, this is holy fire you see Show me your face, a reflection of my glory And you will know who I am Take off in flight, this is holy ground that lifts you Open your arms, this is holy wind you feel Show me your tears, flowing down your face in rivers And you will know who I am You will know that I have healed you You will know who I am, I am your God Take in the sight, you’re on my holy mountain Open your ears, these are holy words you hear Behold his face, a reflection of my glory And you will know who I am You will know I have loved him You will know who I am, I am your God Take up his cross, this is holy wood you carry Open your hands this is holy work you do Share in his love, poured out for you forever And you will know who I am You will know he has loved you You will know who I am (If you are interested in seeing this piece danced, you can to the blde.org website, scroll down to For the Greater Glory of God. It is 40 minutes into the video) I'm Melting2/21/2019 yI hadn’t planned to write a journal entry today. This morning’s reading of Noah’s Ark and God telling humans to have “dominion” over creation did not inspire me. I suppose I could have reflected on the Rainbow as sign of the Covenant but that might have been too obvious. By the way, did you know that the song “Over the Rainbow” almost didn’t make it into the movie, "The Wizard of Oz"? The producer thought it didn’t “advance the story line”. He said it “slowed things down”. Clearly, he didn’t have a “brain, a heart, the nerve”
Today’s improvisation on "The Wizard of Oz" comes from my “following” not the yellow brick road but the road “more” travelled by me these past days and months. It’s the same road in summer as in winter. Today was a “harbinger of spring” as "warmth" cast its spell. Melting snow, some still snow, some water, some streams coming from the melting... “Like a deer that yearns for running streams, so my soul is thirsting for you, My God. My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go and meet God face to face? (Psalm 42) It is not easy to live in the “in-between.” Sometimes you just don’t have a clear sense of “who you are” or “what your life is about." You’re “somewhere over the rainbow” and you’re living each day wondering why you are not in “Kansas” anymore. And then out of the blue sky comes the transfiguring moment when you hear the “voice” that says, “You are my beloved.", and those words “melt” your heart, hardened by hurt, betrayal, human cruelty. And you find you may be able to forgive. My walk amid the melting let me see the interplay of snow and streams of water, light and shadow, warmth and chill. I made footprints in the snow to find my way home and followed tracks going every which way. I even stopped to survey some of the animals whose ancestors must have survived the 40 days of flooding centuries. All in all, an “over the rainbow” kind of day. And yes, I did see a “snow person” melting! It' S-Noah's Ark!2/20/2019 As I read the story of Noah and the Ark which appears for three days this week in the church’s liturgy, I remembered a summer’s day following the same path that I had taken in the winter wonderland two days ago. My prayer those days was inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical “Laudato Si”. Then the pathways were not snow-white and the branches of trees leafless, but creation was clothed in every shade of green against a brilliant blue summer sky. I was mesmerized by the beauty and diversity of God’s creation. My heart sang in chorus with St Francis and Pope Francis, Laudato Si! Laudato Si! Praise Be!, Praise Be! To the God who creates and sustains all life, let us sing Laudato Si! Praise Be! But then my thoughts turned to the realization that this magnificent creation was threatened by human carelessness, skepticism of climate change and greed. In the story of Noah’s Ark, God is the one who destroys creation with the waters of the flood. Laudato Si reminds us that it is not God who threatens the world with destruction but rather human agency that is responsible for the harm that has been done. And so these words came to me. “What in the world have we done to this earth with all it beauty and and spendor?”.
Each day I would walk the same path that I walked in the winter wonderland two days ago and try to focus on the sights and sounds of creation, so lush and alive in the summer season. The words that came to me I wrote down as possible “lyrics” to a song about creation. I had collaborated with a good friend, Paul Melley on the lyrics for another song years before. I asked him if these words inspired him to compose music. Word wizard and musical genius that he is, he not only edited my text but also expanded the composition. Below is the edited text, including a verse that is not in the song. What in the world have we done to this earth with all its beauty and splendor? If we only have the eyes with which to see! Mother earth once teeming with all kinds of life, now gasps for air, now thirsts for water. Can she find a way to renew her? Can we see change? Yes, a sea change! Laudato Si!, Laudato Si! Praise be, Praise be! To the God who creates and sustains all life, let us sing, Laudato Si! Praise Be! What in the world have we done to this earth with all its beauty and harmony? If we only have the ears with which to hear! Mother earth once ringing with all kinds of sounds, now silences the songs of beasts and birds. May she sing to us the way to renew her? Can we hear change, Yes, a key change! Laudato Si! Laudato Si! Praise be! Praise be! To the God who creates and sustains all life, let us sing, Laudato Si! Praise Be! Praise Be! What in the world have we done to this earth with its beauty and spirit? If we only have the hearts with which to feel! Mother earth once pulsing with all kinds of life, now loses heart, her energy consuming. Can she teach the way to renew her? Will we feel change? Yes, a heart change! Laudato Si! Laudato Si! Praise Be! To the God who creates and sustains all life, let us sing, Laudato Si! Praise Be! What in the world have we done to the earth with all its poor and its suffering? If we only gave our hands to hold and reach! Mother earth with great abundance for all Now feeding few, now wasting away Can she unite us all in a love for the world? Can we love change? Can we be change? Laudato Si! Laudato Si! Praise Be! To the God who creates and sustains all life Let us live Laudato Si! Praise Be! If you would like to hear the song, please contact me at robertvereecke@me.com and I'll send you a file. I invite you these days to take some time to appreciate the gifts of creation! Whoa! Snow!2/18/2019 I woke this morning to a winter wonderland and felt the call to prayer in the midst of the gently falling snow. This was your “picture perfect” snowfall. Not unlike the animated snowfall at the end of “Charlie Brown’s Christmas” when he and his friends are singing “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”. As I wandered in this winter wonderland, I could not help but think of Gerard Manley Hopkins poems, God’s Grandeur and Pied Beauty both of which capture the beauty and majesty of God’s creation. Even better, there is a farm within walking distance which shelters sheep, goats, an ox and donkeys. (I expected to run into Mary, Joseph and the new born Jesus!) So for a few moments I was filled with the Christmas spirit and was able to give thanks to God for beauty in "All Things Bright and Beautiful”.
At some point my wooded wonderland and Christmas nativity scene ended and I was walking on a road with cars racing by, splashing me with slush. I was carrying newspapers with the “woes” of the world. But at least for a brief time and 5000 steps, the world was what God intended it to be, a place of beauty, light, life and harmony. Whoa! is Me!2/17/2019 The Gospel for the Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C) is Luke’s version of the Beatitudes, also known as the Sermon on the Plane. OOPS! The Sermon on the Plain! You have to wonder how anyone learns the English language when words with completely different meanings sound the same! In Luke’s version of the Beatitudes he balances the “Blessed are you” with “Woe to you”. Hearing the word "woe", makes me think of another “word” that sounds lie “woe” Of course it’s “Whoa!” Both “Woe” and “Whoa” stop you in your tracks. The first is from some kind of misfortune and the second from something in your life that forces you to suddenly stop what you are doing and where you are going. Sometimes Woe is the cause of Whoa! A diagnosis of a serious illness, an accident that compromises your health, losing your job, losing your home in a natural disaster are all human “woes” that make you stop and take stock of your life and what really matters. The "Woe" becomes a "Whoa" since you know you can’t take anything for granted and each day brings new gifts and challenges.
These days I have a good deal of time to reflect and pray. My own Woe is me! Whoa is me! these past months have afforded me the time to pay attention to the simple gifts of creation. Some days I’m in awe of the breathtaking beauty of the world of nature, even in this winter season where you see bare branches and decaying leaves but know there is a promise of spring and new life. I also have the time to “pray” for friends who are dealing with significant “woes” in their lives coming from medical issues or terrible accidents. My hope, of course, is that my prayer for these friends will somehow make a difference. I don’t really believe in an “interventionist” God because this seems too arbitrary. My pastoral response has always been that God is not very good at “fixing” the woes but rather “finding” the people in our lives who will be the instruments of “healing” that we need. It’s never easy to be grateful for the “woe” in our lives but sometimes the “whoa!” can be a beginning of healing and hope for new directions. What a Shame! You're to Blame!2/16/2019 Blaming and shaming are central to the experience of the “first” human beings in the Genesis story that are the first readings for Friday and Saturday of this week. (Genesis 3-1-24) This text describes the “original” sin, the first act of human disobedience and the consequences of this action. What captures my imagination, however, is the very human experience of shame and the desire to “hide oneself” that is a result of feeling shame or being shamed. And with “shame” comes the “blame”. It’s so tragically human to “blame” someone else and not take responsibility for one’s actions. In the Genesis story, the man blames the woman who blames the serpent. I wonder if instead of “he”, “she”, the “devil” made me do it, the words, “I’m sorry” would have elicited a different reaction from the God who had made all creation “good”.
The question that God asks the "man" in the garden is "Where are you?" We usually think of this as God wanting to know his location. (as if God didn't already know!) But what if the question is "Where are YOU?". Isn't the more poignant question, "Where do you find yourself at this moment in your life"? It’s a shame that many of us carry wounds throughout our lives that are rooted in the experience of being “shamed” or “blamed”. And there is the temptation to think that God excels at “shaming and blaming” rather than just wanting to make sure that we are OK, that we are known and loved for who we are. I A New Creation2/13/2019 The readings from this week's liturgy are taken from the book of Genesis and recount the two versions of Creation. The first and most familiar has God creating the world as "good" in 7 days. Everything is in perfect order. Would that life were like that! How often are our lives so perfectly ordered that everything is in its proper place and time? I think that's why I prefer the second version from Chapter 2 of Genesis. Here God "plays in the mud" and creates someone very beautiful, the human being. God uses the "mess" of "mass" (matter) to create us. That's why it's ok if our lives are "messy" and not in order. God know what a mess we make with our "mis-takes" but God always sees us as "good" and lovable".
AuthorAs an ordained Catholic priest for 45 years and a member of the Jesuits for 57 years, I've had a great deal of "spiritual" experience! This is a place where I can continue to share my thoughts about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit and what it means to live the "mystery of God." Categories |
Proudly powered by Weebly