For the Glory of God

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Ad majorem Dei gloria, catholic, enough, For the greater glory of God, Jesus, Joseph, Mary, St. Ignatius of Loyola, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Your love and Your grace

I was reminded this morning of one of the customs of life in a Catholic school. At the top of our test papers (and probably our homework assignments as well) we wrote +JMJ, a reminder to dedicate our work to Jesus, Mary and Joseph. As we got older this was sometimes replaced by the Latin phrase, Ad majorem Dei gloria (+AMDG), For the greater glory of God. I’m sure that sometimes we wrote it to assure a good grade rather than as a reminder of the purpose of all our work, but something of motivation must have been instilled in us with this habit.

Today is the feast of St. Ignatius of Loyola whose life story is a long and tortuous recounting of transformation from soldier to mystic and founder of the religious community called the Society of Jesus, commonly known as the Jesuits. It was Ignatius who took as the motto +AMDG for his “band of brothers” and who early in his conversion wrote what has become an intensive retreat model for spiritual seekers the world over called The Spiritual Exercises. The spirituality of Ignatius is summarized in a short prayer that mirrors the way he lived his life and has motivated others to deeper love for God over the past five centuries. A modern translation in song by Jesuit John Foley is my favorite rendering; the repetitious refrain especially calls to me.

Take, Lord, receive all my liberty, my memory, understanding, my entire will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; that’s enough for me. Your love and Your grace are enough for me. Take, Lord, receive all I have and possess. You have given all to me, now I return it. Give me only Your love and Your grace; that’s enough for me. Your love and Your grace are enough for me. Take, Lord, receive, all is Yours now. Dispose of it wholly according to your will. Give me only Your love and Your grace; that’s enough for me. Your love and your grace are enough for me.

The Old and The New

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convent, foremothers, gratitude, head of household, Jesus, Matthew, motherhouse, reverence, silver jubilee, sister, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Next week one of the youngest Sisters in our community will celebrate her Silver Jubilee – 25 amazing years among us. She has chosen our Motherhouse as the location for this event because, as she told me this week, that way many of the older residents who wouldn’t be able to travel can participate. She couldn’t imagine doing it without them. Betsy has ministered in places and ways that would never have been possible when I was “a young sister” – e.g., traveling the world as the World-Church liaison for Habitat for Humanity – and is very engaged in the conversation about possibilities of a sustainable future for us as a Congregation.

I was reminded of Betsy by this morning’s gospel verse where Jesus says, “Every scribe who has been instructed in the Kingdom of heaven is like the head of a household who brings from his storeroom both the new and the old.” (MT 13:52) I’ve always been grateful that I entered the convent on the cusp of all the changes in religious life occasioned by the Second Vatican Council in the 1960s because I understood “the old” experientially while struggling to understand and live into “the new” – a process that is in some ways still going on. I am comforted, however, and filled with hope for the future by those who have come after me whose reverence for our history and the women who shaped it is strong. Reverence and gratitude can go a long way – in any organization or culture – toward life in abundance. Today I pray God’s blessing for Betsy and all of our foremothers, trusting in God’s Spirit as we go forward on the road that has brought us to where we are.

“Staycation”

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American Catholic, Jesus, John, Martha, Mary, Pope Francis, renew, staycation, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, virtue, work ethic

I found an interesting coincidence when I clicked on the American Catholic website this morning, looking for anything unique about Martha, the sainted sister of Lazarus and Mary whose feast we celebrate today. She is known for her work ethic – and her apparent frustration with her sister who preferred sitting at the feet of Jesus to helping with the meal preparation. This morning’s gospel (JN 11:19-27) is the less familiar exchange of Martha with Jesus where she laments the fact that if he had come sooner her brother wouldn’t have died. We shouldn’t miss the last part of that text where Jesus challenges her belief about him. She doesn’t hesitate as she answers clearly that she believes in him as the Christ, needed evidence of her reflective side perhaps.

But back to my discovery of the morning…While I wasn’t satisfied to reiterate the common message of balance gleaned from the Mary/Martha evidence (i.e. “Virtue stands in the middle.”), I had to pay attention because it got a boost from a wise and popular source: Pope Francis! It appears that after his whirlwind tour of three South American countries and as he prepares for his first, important trip to North America in September, he is on a “staycation.” Of course it was the newly-coined term – new to me at least – that got my attention. It seems that, while the Pope will not be going to some peaceful place to renew himself after his strenuous last few weeks, he is curtailing his public appearances until August 6th, content to do study and paperwork in an effort to rest and regain a healthy balance of his energy.  We would do well to follow his example if our responsibilities don’t allow a vacation right now. So my question to myself this morning is about how I will spend my staycation time in August. Hmmm…

Rising Early

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attentive heart, darkness, dawn, lantern, life, light, Macrina Weiderkehr, nature, Rise Early, seven sacred pauses, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There’s a heat wave gripping our country – practically from coast to coast – that saps energy and makes it difficult both to sleep at night and to wake up in the morning. Macrina Weiderkehr helped me to finally open my eyes this morning and stumble toward the coffee with renewed purpose as she urged me to Rise Early:

Rise early when morning darkness still enwraps the trees. Walk into the dark forest with only your attentive heart. Gaze toward the east, take a deep breath and wait. After a short while you will see God carrying a lantern through the forest, bits of light bobbing up and down, in and out, higher and higher, the light climbs, spilling over into the spaces between the leaves and on into the world beyond the forest. Then the beautiful darkness hands you over to the light. It slips away reverently into the bark of the tree trunks, into the black earth, into all those other countries that wait for its return. Lift your face to the daystar now. Experience the coming of dawn. Bathed in the morning light, pray that the lantern of your life move gently this day into all those places where light is needed. (Seven Sacred Pauses, pp. 64-65)

Imperceptible Growth

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communication, community, God's grace, growth, Lectionary, Matthew, miracle, mustard seed, spiritual direction, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a wild mix of rainstorms and sunshine. I’ve  noticed and probably have commented more than once on the lushness of creation here in rural New York State. It isn’t only the very healthy grass growth. I’ve been taking the measure (not literally) of how incredibly tall the trees on our property have become over the past few years. It seems the birds have taken note and have invited their relatives to move in as each morning I am awakened to more and more lusty chirping of every kind. I’m aware of all this today because the gospel for this morning contains the parable of the mustard seed, “the smallest of all seeds,” Jesus says, “yet when full-grown is the largest of all plants,” so that “the birds in the sky come and dwell in its branches.” (MT 13:31-35)

Of course Jesus isn’t just talking about seeds, trees and birds. Neither am I. I have been part of so many conversations lately, and have seen or read about conferences and topical presentations on such diverse expressions of spirituality, that I can’t help but think the energy is growing toward a broader and deeper growth of new forms of community than I would have imagined even twenty years ago. My own personal example is the most astounding to me and, ironically because of my slowness to join the world of internet technology, a marvel of worldwide communication.

About four years ago I started reading the morning lectionary texts from the US Catholic Bishops’ website in order to share prayer with two former colleagues whose  deep sharing at staff meetings over eleven years was then missing from my life. We thought if we could connect in this way, it would keep us in spiritual touch with one another to some degree at least. Over the next year or two, I added e-mail addresses of a few people with whom I was doing spiritual direction until I was sending it to a dozen or so. It seemed a natural progression, when The Sophia Center for Spirituality came into existence, to continue this daily practice on our website. Now, after almost two years of this daily practice of mine, the result can only be termed a miracle of God’s grace. I know that because my computer keeps track of how many people visit each day and how many entries they read when they do. The most compelling part for me is that the countries of origin are also noted. Every once in awhile I look at the summaries. Last week there were visitors from 23 countries including such diverse places as India, Australia, Japan, Croatia, Nigeria, Finland, Moldova and the Philippines! How I would love to meet all these people! Some of them are likely people who were “just surfing” but they stopped at least long enough to read one entry of the blog. Last Wednesday, daily tallies for such readings since I began the blog reached 10,002! This could never have happened before the development of the “worldwide web” that connects us.

Clearly, God’s grace abounds and astounds and we are called, as Thomas Merton reminds us, to “forget ourselves on purpose” (for it is truly God’s work in which we participate) “and join in the general dance!”

Something to Eat

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body and soul, Elisha, Ephesians, food pantries, hunger, John, Kings, loaves and fishes, miracle, need, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity

The gospel reading for this morning is John’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (JN 6:1-15). The question of the disciples is “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” A similar question is posed in the first reading (2 KINGS 4:42-44 – less familiar to me) when Elisha directs a man who has given him 20 barley loaves to “give it to the people to eat.” When his servant asks, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” The prophet repeats, “Give it to the people to eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over…'” Indeed, in both cases there was a great deal left over – one miracle foreshadowing the other, greater one.

It is, I think, the coming together of need and the willingness to satisfy it that creates the miracle in these readings. I think about the prevailing sense that there is enough food in the world today so that no one need go hungry if we will take steps toward a just distribution of what exists. Lately I’ve been seeing reports of more and more efforts in this regard – some in direct service, e.g. food collections at various events as “entry fees” and church collections for their food pantries, and some that address systems like the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative Food Systems Track that “supports strategies  to meet the rapidly growing global demand for food while also protecting the natural resources critical to the future of food production and human well-being.” (www.clintonfoundation.org)

St. Paul is reminding the Ephesians this morning of our call to live a life of unity in the spirit of “the one God who is over all and through all and in all.” (EPH 4:1-6). In this way, the feeding of the people takes on a deeper meaning leading to the “human well-being” spoken of above. So when we bring our canned goods to church or give a donation to an organization like Bread for the World, let us pray for that unity and be willing to participate in the feeding of both the body and soul of our brothers and sisters throughout our neighborhood and the world.

Entitlement

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election, Gentiles, hubris, humility, Jesus, Kingdom, Matthew, money, politician, rulers, servant, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Zebedee

We’re at the beginning in our country of a political election cycle that is unusual in the number of people who have declared their candidacy for President of the United States. There are, at last count, 17 people who have entered the race. This number will be winnowed shortly as televised debates and state primaries are held – and then there is the question of money. It is impossible to win an election here these days (even to lesser positions in state and local elections) unless you have what has come to be known as a substantial “war chest” – in other words, a lot of money. One comes to wonder about the motivation of candidates; is their overarching desire for power or service? It’s never as simple as that, of course, but it’s necessary to listen deeply to not only the messages but also the actions of candidates throughout their lives in making decisions about the values they hold and their fitness for office. The witness of key people in the life of a candidate can also give a sense of who the person has been in life re: authenticity and humility – two qualities harder to determine as “the race heats up.”

The mother of the sons of Zebedee was a politician – direct and to the point. In today’s gospel (MT 20:20-28) she approaches Jesus wanting to ask him something. She obviously has not been listening very well to his preaching about humility and service because when Jesus asks her what she wants she replies: “Command that these two sons of mine sit, one at your right and the other at your left, in your Kingdom.” Jesus assures her that she has no idea what she’s asking; his “kingdom” is not about worldly power first of all. He turns to her sons (who should have been mortified at the request, I think) and asks if they “can drink the cup” that he is going to drink. They have no idea either of what he’s talking about but, feeling the sense of entitlement that they have obviously grown up with, they respond, “We can.” The other apostles are predictably indignant at this display of hubris and Jesus delivers a wonderful cautionary speech that could be instructive today for all of those seeking public office (or leadership position of any kind) and for all of us. He tells them:

You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and the great ones make their authority felt. But it shall not be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you shall be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you shall be your slave. Just so, the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.

 

A Harvest of Perseverance

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fertile soil, generous heart, harvest, hear, keep the word, Matthew, perseverance, share, soil, sowing seed, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understand

Yesterday someone brought us four large summer squash from their abundance and the vegetable farm down the road had many boxes ready to ship from their crop as well. That’s pretty common around here in the summer. Even if you only have one summer squash plant, you are bound to share in the end as the yield is always heavy. On the other hand, I was trying earlier in the week to plant two small pots of flowers and I encountered lots of stones (not uncommon on our land) and all sorts of ants and other bugs. I’m still not sure if they will survive.

This morning’s gospel is the one about the sower sowing seed in four different kinds of soil: the path (i.e. the road), rocky ground, soil among thorns and rich soil – all indicators of how we hear the word of God. It harks back to yesterday when I talked about open eyes and ears open to hear the word of God. All four kinds of “soil” hear the word this morning but it is only the rich soil that hears and understands the word which yields a good harvest. (MT 13:18-23) Implied is the importance of listening deeply but there’s another additive, found in the acclamation that precedes this gospel. It says: “Blessed are those who have kept the word with a generous heart and yield a harvest through perseverance.” That says to me that even if you have the best soil in the world it’s likely you will need to pay attention to all sorts of conditions so you’ll water the crop sufficiently and fertilize if need be. Sometimes it seems as if something I plant will never grow. I kept a plant of mistaken identity for six years because it kept putting out a leaf or two every year. When we transplanted it finally, it flourished into a large hibiscus rather than the hydrangea that was ordered! Clearly, perseverance does pay eventually!

Of Eyes and Ears

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ears truly listening, Exodus, eyes wide open, God, hearing, Jesus, lightning, messages, Moses, Mount Sinai, rain, seeing, storms, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thunder

We’ve had a couple of powerful storms lately – high winds (tree branches down), thunder, lightning and heavy rain. We have not had the destruction that many places in our country have experienced but it certainly is enough to make sleep difficult in the night! These thoughts were occasioned on this peaceful, sunny morning by the reading from Exodus (19:1- 11, 16-20) where God came down to Mount Sinai in fire with the sound of a trumpet and made the mountain tremble with thunder while Moses was speaking to God and all of the Hebrew people watched in awe. The purpose for this powerful display was (as God had already told Moses three days before) so that the people would not only believe in God but in Moses as well.

Sometimes we would wish for such clear messages – with audio-visual effects from God, but it doesn’t happen that way. God’s messages are mostly more subtle than that so we have to really look and listen from the inside in order to understand. That’s the message of Jesus this morning about the crowds who don’t understand him when he speaks in parables. He says that they look but do not see and hear but do not listen or understand. He’s actually complimenting the disciples in the end saying, “But blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear.” I think of how often I am so wrapped up in my own thoughts that I hear what others are saying but really don’t take it in; I’m not really listening.

May we all go today wherever we are called to go with eyes wide open and ears ready to truly listen so that God’s messages might get through to our hearts!

First Apostle

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Annunciation, Apostle to the Apostles, gossip, Jesus, John, Mary, Mary Magdalene, resurrection, resurrection body, sensationalism, service to God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

One of the most severe cases of mistaken identity of all time belongs to Mary Magdalene whose feast day we celebrate today. After almost 20 centuries of notoriety, scriptural scholarship has finally recognized that there is no basis for her reputation as “a harlot” or a great sinner. On the contrary, we now recognize her as “Apostle to the Apostles” who first announced the Resurrection of Jesus to the disciples. She is the only person who is noted in all four gospels as having been present at the crucifixion and who remained at the tomb of Jesus. This day always reminds me of the danger of gossip and of the lure of sensationalism in stories told of famous people. We have only to look in the grocery store checkout lines to see lurid photos (often cobbled together and “photo-shopped”) that match rumored headlines about movie stars and are frequently untrue.

More than a reminder of right thinking, however, this feast is about relationship and the fidelity that springs from great love. Jesus defied convention in his day by having women in his company of disciples. Closest in relationship to him, as we now intuit especially from the stories of his death and resurrection, was Mary. Today’s gospel is my favorite of those scenes as John places Mary in a garden by the tomb, mistaking Jesus for the gardener. (JN 20:11-18) It is when he says her name that she recognizes him, an indication both that he is somehow changed and also that his tone implies deep love between them. Her second recognition is of the change in him, manifested in what is often called his “resurrection body” – the enlightened state that signifies a shift in relationship for them as well. This new expansiveness reminds me of the Annunciation where Mary hears that she is to be the mother of Jesus. She had always been, we believe, faithful to God in her young life but now God asks more of her. At the moment in the garden when Jesus says to Magdalene, “Do not cling to me for I have not yet ascended,” this Mary accedes to her new role (not an easy one!) of announcing to the “brothers” what she has been told.

It is often the case that we are asked in the course of our lives to go beyond what we thought our lives were about to become more in service to God. Although sometimes a small thing, it may instead be a dramatic event that calls us to respond to what we could not have imagined that will change our lives forever. Both Marys provide examples of the need to practice willingness in order to be ready to respond with great love and surrender when the moment calls us forward. May it be so for all of us.