Snow Day2/28/2023 Tuesday of the First Week of Lent
I remember growing up in the 50’s and a snow day was predicted; we would sit around the kitchen table listening to the radio and wait anxiously to hear “Our Lady of Victory” as one of the schools that would be closed. Oh Joy! Oh Rapture! As a child there was nothing quite like an unexpected snow day to bring us delight. As you can see from the photo above today is one of those “snow days,” although so far it has not amounted to much. More is expected later in the day. There is something joyful about a snowfall on a day when we hear the words of the prophet Isaiah, Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down And do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful…… We usually don’t associate “joy” with the Lenten season. Joy always feels “light,” like the snowflakes falling, where Lent has a heaviness to it. Whether it be the weight of the Cross, the weight of our sinfulness, the weight of the world, during Lent we are more weighed down than buoyed up. Easter is the time for bubbling and even babbling with sheer joy. Even in Lent, however, we can be surprised by joy. Jesus says to his disciples, “Don’t babble on”. Keep your prayer simple. There’s no need for an excess of words. Speak from the heart and notice if the gifts of the spirit are “bubbling up” in you. If we listen closely to the babbling and bubbling of today’s scripture, the Spirit may not “brook” any opposition to the joyful sounds within and without. As just mentioned, Isaiah begins with the beautiful image of the earth watered and made fruitful by the snow and the rain. Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to the one who sows and bread to the one who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; It shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. God’s word is living, active and effective if we let it take root in us. God’s Word is Jesus, himself and if we listen to him, and let him work through us, we may be delighted with what happens and the difference we can make as instruments of his peace and his joy. There is as well a beautiful image in the psalm today “Look to God and be radiant with joy and your faces may not blush with shame.” Even in this Lenten season with all the worries of our world today, can we radiate joy that comes from seeing the face of God in creation and the face of Jesus in our brothers and sisters? In the “Book of Joy,” the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu remind us that we are more likely to experience joy when we take the focus off ourselves, our problems and complaints, and focus on the needs of the other. (Think of yesterday’s Gospel) As you know, joy cannot be programmed. It’s spontaneous and surprising. It’s not up to us to decide to be joyful in the midst of the troubles of the world. Joy is gift and it comes when and where we least expect it and may be an important reminder that the Spirit of God is still bubbling up, even when we “babble on.” Suggestion for Prayer KIS! Keep it simple, as Jesus says. What’s bubbling up in you as you pray with these scriptures. What is a source of joy for you during these times that bring such sadness? How is “being placed with Jesus” a source of joy for you?
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Keeping Company2/27/2023 Monday of the First Week of Lent
As I mentioned, some days I’ll be sharing the reflection I’ve put together for the Eastern Point Lenten/Easter journey whose title is “Place me with your son.” I chose the title “Keeping Company” since the invitation throughout this season is to be very deliberate about the “company you keep.” You ask for the grace to be placed with Mary’s/God’s son, but the Gospel today also invites you to reflect on the company you keep, especially the disenfranchised. Given the theme of this Lenten/Easter Journey, “Place me with your son,” today’s Gospel is very clear about where you will find him; in the hungry, the naked, the homeless, the ill, the imprisoned. When we ask that we be in Jesus’s company, we are asking to be with those of our brothers and sisters who are most in need. Suggestion for prayer: As you read today’s gospel of the sheep and the goats, in your prayer can you put a human face to those whom the Son of Man describes as most needy of your care and compassion? Whenever I read this Gospel, I think that the "goats" have been given a "baaed rap! Goats are good for so many things. So I changed the sheep and the goats to "peace makers" and "war mongers." Should i put in any names? Last year, when the War in Ukraine had just begun, I shared with you a variation on this familiar Gospel. After a year of devastation and ongoing conflict it may be worth hearing again. Jesus said to his disciples: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit upon his glorious throne, and all the nations will be assembled before him. And he will separate them one from another, The peacemakers on the left and the war-mongers on the right Then the king will say to those on his left, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry for peace among nations and you devoted yourself to peace-making I was thirsty for justice for all and you worked for justice, a stranger, a refugee from the scourge of war and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you freed me.’ For whenever you did these things for a victim of war and terror, you did this for me.’ Then he will say to those on his right, ‘Depart from me, you war-mongers, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his angels. For I was hungry for peace and you made war. I was thirsty for justice, and you killed the innocent You made me an exile, a refugee, in an alien land. You stripped me naked of my rights to a homeland and you clothed yourself in wealth and luxury. You imprisoned me with fear of your bombs, missiles, convoys that would take away my freedom. Then they will answer and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you as a victim of war and human cruelty, hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or ill or in prison, and not minister to your needs?’ He will answer them, ‘Amen, I say to you, what you did not do for one of these least ones, your brothers and sisters, you did not do for me.’ And these will go off to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Suggestion for Prayer: “Be Holy, for I the Lord your God am Holy.” As you pray with today’s scriptures, what does it mean for you to respond to the call to holiness? It’s so much more than piety. Ask to be placed with Jesus. How does he show you what genuine holiness is? Desert Dream2/26/2023 First Sunday of Lent
Last night I was startled awake by a dream I was having. As usual in my dreams I’m in a familiar place with people I know but I have no idea where I’m going or what I’m doing there. What startled me more when I awoke was the question, “What were Jesus’ dreams like? I never have thought much about Jesus’ sleeping patterns or the fact that he must have dreamed. The first Sunday of Lent always anchors him in his humanity. To sleep, to dream is a significant part of our human experience. In Matthew’s Gospel, dreams play a major role. It is in a dream that Joseph is told that Mary’s pregnancy is through the Holy Spirit and that her son will be called, Emmanuel. It is in a dream that he is warned about Herod and told to flee into Egypt. Like Joseph the dreamer and interpreter of dreams for Pharoah, Joseph the step-father of Jesus experiences the revelation of God in dreams. What came to me this morning was looking at the temptation story in the desert as Jesus’ dream. It certainly has a dreamlike quality to it. Jesus finds himself at the parapet of the temple and suddenly on a high mountain. I think we all know how disturbing dreams can be. Our subconscious may be the original “trickster” like Satan in the temptation story. Our fears, anxieties, existential displacement rise to the surface in our dreams. If the temptations were “just a dream,” what Jesus confronted in himself is no less “real” than if we imagine a “Satan” who appeared in the desert out of nowhere. I’d invite you to read today’s Gospel through the lens of a Matthean dream. I wonder if it will awaken something in you as it did me. Since it is the first Sunday of Lent, I share with you a poem I wrote two years ago, a story I wrote three years ago inspired by the final line of Matthew’s Gospel, “And angels came and ministered to him.” I also share a homily given in 2005 by my friend, Fr. JA Loftus. It’s worth reading. malachis_message.pdf tempted_or_tempered.docx first_sunday_of_lent.docx (I didn't have a photo of footprints crossing a desert, so I used this one of footprints in the snow instead.) Not So, Fast!2/24/2023 Friday after Ash Wednesday, If you are receiving the Lenten/Easter reflections, “Place Me With Your Son” from Eastern Point, you will find some “overlap” since I am involved in facilitating those reflections. Do you want to fast this Lent? There are different ways of fasting. Here are some of the ways in which Pope Francis has suggested we fast. Fast from words that hurt others Fast from sadness and be filled with gratitude Fast from anger and be filled with patience Fast from pessimism and be filled with hope. Fast from worries and have trust in God. Fast from complaints and contemplate simplicity Fast from pressures and be prayerful. Fast from bitterness and fill your hearts with joy. Fast from selfishness and be compassionate. Fast from grudges and be reconciled. Fast from words; be silent and listen. Very wise words from a pastoral Pope! Today’s scriptures have “fasting” as a primary theme. But it’s not fasting in the physical sense, although that can heighten one’s awareness of the need for God. It’s an authentic change of heart that is not focused inward but outward. This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; Setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; Sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless; Clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own. Then your light shall break forth like the dawn, and your wound shall quickly be healed; Your vindication shall go before you, and the glory of the LORD shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the LORD will answer, you shall cry for help, and he will say: Here I am! As I prayed with this scripture, I was asking myself what this injunction from the prophet Isaiah could mean to me, living as I do in a retirement community where we are all well-fed and sheltered. What dawned on me is that the majority of the community have had so many layers of health and cognitive ability stripped away by illness or age, that they are “naked” in a symbolic sense. I know the invitation to me is to “not turn my back” but rather be as present as I can, even though that is very challenging. Who are the hungry, the homeless, the oppressed, the most vulnerable in your world? A few years ago, reflecting on the word, “fast” and its various meanings, I wrote the poem “Squirrel Scramble” which is one of my favorites.. Squirrel Scramble I saw a squirrel squatting on a stone wall holding fast for a few seconds. I wondered if he were feasting his eyes on the golden kernel of sunrise as I was or was he in search of kernels of another kind? Was he aching for acorns or fasting from feasting? Was he searching for stores or asking for more than oaks can provide? “Squirrels do not live on acorns alone.” I saw a squirrel Scurrying away Holding fast no more. Had his hunger tempted him To break fast from this glorious feast for the eyes, this golden kernel of sunrise? Had his aching for acorns consumed him? Has his searching for sturdy oaks blurred his vision of sun’s rising over a rock of ages, symbol of steadfast love? I saw myself in a squirrel scampering away from steadfast Rock and squirrel fortifying me with wisdom’s kernels. Fast, yes, when it comes to acorns Fast, no, when it’s time for slow Hold fast to the one who Holds you Fast! Suggestions for Prayer: What is it that speaks to you in Pope Francis’ understanding of fasting? How can you take to heart the injunction of the Prophet Isaiah? Lent is a time to “hold fast’ to your trust in God. Ask for the grace to be placed with Jesus, the bridegroom. What kind of intimacy are you invited to in this Lenten journey? Speak to Jesus as one friend speaks to another? What does he want to say to you as you enter this sacred time? Sign Posts2/23/2023 Thursday after Ash Wednesday
Driving home last night in the snow, I almost had a collision with another car as I exited off the highway. Whether it was the snow or something else distracting me, I forgot there was a “yield” sign and kept right on going. Fortunately, the other car blared its warning and I escaped without damage to either of us. I felt so guilty for not yielding the right of way. In fact, my friend JA had scolded me a number of times for not paying attention to that yield sign when I was driving him someplace. I still hear his voice telling me to pay attention. Four years ago, in one of my earliest entries in this journal, I used the signs you see above on Ash Wednesday. These sign posts reminded me of some of the Lenten themes that we hear during these preparation days before we dive into Lent in earnest. As Moses says, “Today, life and death are put before you. Choose life.” Will you choose the “one way” that leads to life or head down the road that’s a “dead end.” Will you stop, look, and listen during this Lenten season to examine yourself and ally yourself with Jesus invitation to follow him, even if it means taking up your cross daily? As I wrote last week, my preference is to put a more positive spin on “deny yourself” and think of it as “giving freely of who you are and what you have.” So, today, the “signpost” I’m hoping to pay attention to is “Yield.” What it means to yield is to “give way.” What does it mean for us to “yield?” Are there concrete ways in which we can yield to Christ’s invitation to follow him? And if we do will that bring about a great yield for us in our spiritual lives? So “yield” to the one who loves you so that you will produce a “yield” of love and compassion for others. The photo of the sign below was originally, “Warning No Lifeguard on Duty” I cropped it to say “Lifeguard On Duty” since that seems more accurate for the accompaniment we receive from Jesus during this Lenten season. And a good crop is a good yield! Thumbs Up!2/22/2023 Ash Wednesday
I’m assuming that people know what “emojis” are? They are those pictograms that are used in texts and websites. There are thousands of emojis but ones most commonly used are smiling faces or sad faces. This morning in a communication with Sr. Nancy, instead of using words to express agreement, I used a “thumbs up” emoji. I was sure that Nancy knew what I was saying. When you see a “thumbs up” you know what it means. So I suppose i could make this Ash Wednesday homily very brief with a “thumbs up” to the invitation to a change of heart, prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season and a “thumbs down” to sin and selfishness. But not so fast… Today is a day to take time to ponder and reflect on the journey ahead. Take a look at your thumb, if you would. You’ll most likely see a faint outline of your thumbprint that would be in bold relief if you were finger printed. You know that your thumbprint is unique. There’s no other one in the world like it. And if you were to see your thumbprint, what you would notice is a the “whorl” that is a pattern of spirals. Three years ago, on Ash Wednesday I was fascinated by the idea of the thumb-whorl since I knew that I would be imprinting a cross on the foreheads of the retreatants at Eastern Point with my thumb. And although I would be making two straight lines crossing each other, my thumb would be imprinting spirals and not straight lines. And how perfect is that for beginning this Lenten season. In one sense it’s a straight line from Ash Wednesday to Easter if we think of it as one day after the next for these 40. It is one journey that we are on together. But just as each of our thumbprints are unique whorls or spirals, so are each of our lives. We may be walking a straight line, but if we are accompanying Jesus to the desert, to the mountain, to the well, to the temple, to the tomb of Lazarus and ultimately to the Cross, our journey will be filled with twists and turns as was his. The day after Ash Wednesday three years ago, when the reading from Deuteronomy speaks of Moses’ exhortation to “Choose Life” and The Gospel speaks of Jesus’ to “Lose life” the whorl of Ash Wednesday came together in these words. What a Whorl Unless you become.....2/21/2023 The photo above is from my dear friends, Dustin Saldarriaga, Christine Cha and their son, Jonah. It was taken a few years ago. Jonah, whose name means "Dove" has a new sister, Noelle. She is the first "Noelle" in their family.
I chose this photo to accompany Jesus' words to his disciples, "whoever welcomes a child such as this, welcomes me." And in Matthew's Gospel, "unless you become like a little child, you can not enter the kingdom of God." In yesterday’s gospel, the most honest moment in the story comes with the familiar words that the father speaks in desperation. “I do believe, help my unbelief.” As I mentioned yesterday, this certainly resonates with my experience. Does it with yours? I know I want to believe him when he says, “Everything is possible to the one who has faith>” But when you are confronted with suffering in its many forms, it is difficult to summon up the “wherewithal” to believe that everything will be be OK. There are too many times when everything is not OK and you are KO’ed by life and its unpredictability. The question may be “Is faith predicated on postitive outcomes?” Faith is at its core a relationship with the God of mercy and compassion. Isn’t faith a “way of life” that is grounded in a profound trust in God? When Jesus says “everything is possible to those who have faith,” is he talking about positive outcomes or trusting that God will give you the courage, strength, wherewithal to keep on going. These days I am inspired by the number of people I know who are dealing with serious illness but who “keep on going” and won’t give up. They continue to hold fast to their faith in a God who is accompanying them in their suffering. The wisdom of Sirach that we hear today invites us to a deep level of trust. It asks to hold fast to our faith in God, no matter what may befall us. Easier said than done but worth a try! Wait on God, with patience, cling to him, forsake him not; thus will you be wise in all your ways. 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 him, and he will direct your way; keep his fear and grow old therein. Are we being asked to trust God, in the way a little child like Jonah trusts his mother and father? Can we find the "inner child" that relies wholeheartedly on God's mercy, love and compassion? Quite a Stretch!2/20/2023 Monday of the 7th Week in OT
I chose a photo of a stretch of Corporation Beach in Dennis, MA. to accompany today's reflection with the reading from the book of Sirach asking, "Who can number the sands of the seashore?" In yesterday’s homily I used the expression, “Quite a stretch!” to indicate the challenge of living the Gospel as Jesus preaches it, especially in the light of his exhortation to love one’s enemies and be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect. In my prayer this morning, the expression returned to me as I contemplated the calm and order in Sirach’s description of Wisdom in contrast with the chaos and disorder in the Gospel. Note how in this reading everything has it proper place. Wisdom is distinguished by her discipline and the multiplicity of her ways. As you read and pray with this text, do you feel a sense of calm? Do you feel that everything is right with the world? That’s quite a stretch! All wisdom comes from the LORD and with him it remains forever, and is before all time The sand of the seashore, the drops of rain, the days of eternity: who can number these? Heaven's height, earth's breadth, the depths of the abyss: who can explore these? Before all things else wisdom was created; and prudent understanding, from eternity. The word of God on high is the fountain of wisdom and her ways are everlasting. To whom has wisdom's root been revealed? Who knows her subtleties? To whom has the discipline of wisdom been revealed? And who has understood the multiplicity of her ways? There is but one, wise and truly awe-inspiring, seated upon his throne: There is but one, Most High all-powerful creator-king and truly awe-inspiring one, seated upon his throne and he is the God of dominion. It is the LORD; he created her through the Holy Spirit, has seen her and taken note of her. He has poured her forth upon all his works, upon every living thing according to his bounty; he has lavished her upon his friends. The Gospel, however, is chaotic. Everything is in motion; the crowds running to Jesus, the boy’s convulsions, the father’s pleas for healing. And in the midst of the commotion is Jesus not quite cool, calm and collected. He appears frustrated by the disciples’ inability to handle the situation and by the father’s lack of trust. But he regains his cool, calms the boy and collects his disciples. One moment in particular stands out for me this morning. “Jesus took him by the hand, raised him, and he stood up.” Whenever Jesus stretches out his hand, it’s “quite a stretch” because someone will be healed. And when he stretches out his arms on the cross, it’s also “quite a stretch.” When Jesus says, “Everything is possible to one who has faith,” I have to admit that it feels like “quite a stretch.” It’s one of those statements from the lips of Jesus that I would like to believe but am not sure that I do. I’m with the father who says “I believe. Help my unbelief!” Quite a stretch lies ahead of us as we begin in earnest the Lenten- Easter journey on Ash Wednesday. It’s a stretch of more than 90 days and it will stretch us with its invitation to prayer, fasting and alms-giving. And I couldn't resist sharing again the photo of Mikhail Baryshnikov. That's quite a stretch! Ring a Bell?2/19/2023
7th Sunday in Ordinary Time
I wanted to use a photo of my friend Joel who during the pandemic would watch Mass on TV with his sister Ellen and since he was an altar server in his parish, he would ring a bell at the times called for during the Mass. I wasn't able to find it so I chose two of the Sacred Space where our community would gather this morning to hear the "bells" of scripture calling us to holiness. (The photos are from a series taken last week by my friend Reenie Murphy who is a gifted photographer.) What follows is my homily for today which is about “ringing a bell.” (start by ringing bells) Does this ring a bell? Does it bring you back to your altar boy days? My older brother and I often served Mass together and since he was bigger than me, he always got to ring the bells. Why did we ring those bells? To get people’s attention. To be mindful of a sacred moment. And why don’t we ring bells now in our liturgy? We’d have to be ringing bells throughout since there are so many sacred moments. We assume that from the beginning to the end that we are always mindful of the sacred. In our tradition the ringing of the bell was a call to the encounter with the sacred, the Holy, the mystery of God present in our lives right now. You might think of today’s scripture as the ringing of a bell that call us to “mindfulness of the Holy” in the midst of our lives. “Thus says the Lord, your God. You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” The word Holy, Sanctus, Agios, Kadosh is one of the most evocative in liturgy. At once the word tries to capture a reality that is beyond our understanding, one that is totally other, the encounter with which, is “too much” for us, and the “holy’ is so awesome that we repeat the word: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus, Holy Holy Holy.as if the repetition will bring us closer to the experience. The bell that the scriptures sound reminds us that we are in a personal relationship with the One, the God of Israel, the “Abba” of Jesus, the one who dwells in unapproachable light. What is unique to the experience of holiness as it is revealed in our Judeo-Christian tradition is that it is in relationship to other persons that we discover our own holiness. Leviticus tells us that the holiness of God must find expression in our love of neighbor, not holding a grudge against a brother/sister/ or countrymen. Jesus expands and stretches the law of holiness to include the enemy. Love your enemy. Pray for those who are persecuting you. Go the extra mile. Give freely of what you have to whomever asks. Jesus asks so much more of us as his followers. We are to be “perfect as our heavenly father is perfect.” That’s quite a stretch! Here’s another bell! It’s the bell of mindfulness. In the Buddhist tradition, the bell signals the call to awareness of Being. In the Buddhist tradition, one speaks of inter-being, a relationship of all things. Everything and nothing is interconnected. You are your brother or sister. You are your enemy. You are the other and the other is you. What distinguishes our tradition is the foundational experience of God as personal whose human face is the face of Jesus. Our call to holiness is a call to mindfulness of how we belong to each other. We belong to Christ and Christ belongs to God. As Paul says “Are you not aware that you are temples of God and the spirit of God dwells within you?” What difference will it make in the holiness of our lives if instead of judging, criticizing, maligning the other, we see each person as sacred, holy, and belonging to God. Ignatius invites us to “find God in all things.” We are called to recognize each moment as gift as God’s spirit is creatively working in our lives. On Wednesday we begin a journey in sacred time and space. We begin a journey of transformation in Christ from ashes to the Easter fire of Pentecost. The journey calls us to holiness; to be with and for each other. Be Holy, for God’s Sake!" I also remembered a slideshow I put together at Eastern Point called Creation's Hosanna. It uses Paul Winter's "Sanctus and Benedictus" from his Missa Gaia. Creation's Hosanna.m4v from Robert VerEecke on Vimeo. No Denying2/17/2023 Friday of the 6th Week in OT
“If you wish to come after me, you must give freely of yourself, take up your cross, and follow me.” I altered the words of today’s Gospel to make them more inclusive and personal. I also changed “deny” to “give freely.” In other words, there is “no denying” in this version of Jesus’ words. It may just be a matter of semantics, but “to deny” feels so punitive and negative. The origin of the word is “to say no to.” And yet, in taking up one’s cross, you are saying “yes” to Jesus who took up his own cross, not out of self-denial, but out of sacrificial love. Is the invitation to you today to “cross out” the word “deny” and find your own way of expressing what Jesus is asking of you? 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 |
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