If Only…

Tags

Christ, encouragement, God, heart, humble, love, others, Peace, Philippians, psalm 131, quiet, Scripture, selfishness, solace, spirit, St. Paul, stillness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vainglory

Reading today’s assigned Scripture texts for liturgy made me wish everyone – from the famous to the infamous – would pay attention to the messages. First we have Paul pleading with the Philippians to be united and then in what we actually call the psalm response the psalmist takes a humble tone that might actually turn things around if all were to act out of it. I imagine it as a conversation between God and us today. See if that makes sense and what might be the result if everyone took it to heart.

GOD: Brothers and sisters, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love united in heart, thinking one thing. Do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for your own interests but also everyone for those of others. (PHIL 2: 1-4)

US: O Lord, my heart is not proud, nor are my eyes haughty; I busy not myself with great things, nor with things too sublime for me. Nay rather, I have stilled and quieted my soul like a weaned child. Like a weaned child on its mother’s lap, so is my soul within me. In you, O Lord, I have found my peace. (Ps 131: 1-2)

The Wisdom of Age

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Book of Wisdom, joy, Lord, memories, repent, reunion, shared experience, sin, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, universe, wisdom

The feeling in the gathering place of my 50th-year high school reunion last evening was congenial and happy, a perfect example for me of how age is related to wisdom. There were comments that spoke of what a good and caring education we received in high school, the benefit perhaps of membership in a small class of 82 students. There were some specific common memories of events and some still etched in only one or two of our minds but nothing mattered except that our shared experience was celebrated and had created a bond that was still apparent in the joy of being together. It was in the looking back, taking the long view, that the essence of “us” came to light without the necessity of a lot of words.

In some way this morning’s reading from the Hebrew Scriptures gave me the same sense. It is from the Book of Wisdom, always a clue pointing to deep meaning. The feelings it elicited from me were remembrance, gratitude and deep peace. Here is what it says:

Before the Lord the whole universe is as a grain from a balance or a drop of morning dew come down upon earth. But you have mercy on all, because you can do all things; and you overlook people’s sins that they may repent. For you love all things that are and loathe nothing that you have made; for what you hated, you would not have fashioned. And how could a thing remain, unless you willed it; or be preserved, had it not been called forth by you? But you spare all things, because they are yours, O Lord and lover of souls, for your imperishable spirit is in all things! (WIS 11: 22 – 12:1)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thirsting, Yearning, Pining…

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beauty, desire, Jan Phillips, light, luminous, No Ordinary Time, psalm 42, soul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, yearning

Psalm 42 is one of the most evocative tracts in Scripture of our desire for God. Many church hymns and spiritual songs are written using the actual words or others that speak of the deep longing we experience in life. It’s difficult to read lines like: As a deer longs for running streams, so my soul longs for You, O God, without feeling a pull toward prayer or simply to silence.

Last evening I spoke with Jan Phillips, whose books I have often quoted in this blog. Jan will join us at the Sophia Center at the end of April to share some of the wisdom she has gathered from her life experience and personal reflection. (Keep watching the homepage for details.) I was not surprised when I opened her book, No Ordinary Time, this morning to find in her reflections for Saturday a perfect complement to Psalm 42. Beginning with a short poetic verse, she then gives an opening to how our desire for the Divine is mirrored in all of life. Here’s just a snippet of what she writes:

My desire is deep and enduring/You are here and yet do I yearn/To see you, Beloved, to feel you/O would my heart turn to fire.

It is the gift of our essence that attracts others to our light. It is our speaking out that calls forth the one we seek. Just as the beauty of a rose summons the bee when it is time for pollination, or the flickering flame charms the moth, so does the brilliance of our soul draw others toward us when we dare to bare it. There is nothing more luminous and alluring than the human soul revealing itself. (p. 148)

It will be our joy to welcome Jan in the spring of the year to experience the beauty of her creative self in word and music – and in the light shining out from her essence.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Living Words

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apostles, creativity, discoveries, Hubble Space Telescope, human heart, inventions, Jesus, psalm 19, sister, Sister Linda Neil, CSJ, Sister Marion Honors, CSJ, St. Jude, St. Simon, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, universe, world

Illustration by Sr. Marion Honors, CSJ

Today is the feast of Sts. Simon and Jude, Apostles. The job description of these followers of Jesus was one of proclamation, telling their immediate (and sometimes far flung) world what they had learned in the company of Jesus, specifically about spreading the message of love. Psalm 19 attests to that ministry. We read this morning: Not a word nor a discourse whose voice is not heard; through all the earth their voice resounds and to the ends of the world their message.

If that were not enough to call us to celebrate the presence of God, the psalmist broadens out the reach of the message earlier in the psalm, singing: The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day pours out the word to day and night to night imparts knowledge. Last evening that glory was visible to a group of participants at the Sophia Center. Sister Linda Neil, CSJ was skillfully flashing slide after slide of images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope interspersed with the art of Sister Marion Honors, CSJ in a magnificent reflection on the place of humans in the universe. It was, as the psalmist knew so long ago, glorious!

We have, of course, been blessed many times over by the discoveries and inventions of the human mind even just in our lifetime. What was clear last night and again in my thoughts this morning is the magnificence of human creativity and the centrality of the work of the human heart. Our great artists attest to this – but so do we all in what we contribute to the growth and care of the universe, our home. Knowing that, I give thanks for my sister who celebrates her birthday today. She has been a beacon of generosity to people and to causes of justice & charity throughout her life both professionally and personally. Her care for the next generation of extended family is clear in the joy young cousins always take in her presence to them and her interest in the goings-on of their lives. So for all of the above, especially for God’s “handiwork” in the creation of my sister, I sing in gratitude and wonder.

Transient Sensitivity

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darkness, God, immensity, light, reality, sensitivity, Son, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, Thoughts In Solitude, transient expression, transient sensitivity

The first time I came out of sleep this morning into a still-dark world where ice crystals were bouncing off my window panes I was reminded of my dentist appointment three days ago. When he greeted me and asked me how I was upon entering the room, I just answered “transient sensitivity.” The hygienist who had just cleaned my teeth (read: picked and prodded) looked quizzical but the doc nodded and said, “Ahh, your sinuses…”

When I moved 45 years ago to this lovely valley located in the Southern Tier of New York State, I was told that it is known for the propensity of sinus conditions and I was warned that it would take about five years for me to join the ranks of those so “blessed.” I came to understand the condition but have only experienced it as mild discomfort when inclement weather is the order of the day. Lately, however, I know when storms are coming because my teeth begin to ache. Thinking I had a cavity recently, or more likely an exposed nerve in one of my teeth, I had an interesting visit to the dentist where he did everything he could to locate the difficulty, finally concluding that it was the above-mentioned transient sensitivity. In other words, my aging sinuses were talking to the aging nerves close by and predicting stormy weather.

That’s the long introduction to my thoughts this morning about my state of being. While it is true that my teeth are reminding me of what I see and hear outside my window, I was comparing the term to how I was feeling inside when I turned to Thomas Merton and read the following paragraph.

O great God, Father of all things, Whose infinite light is darkness to me, Whose immensity to me is as the void, You have called me forth out of Yourself because You love me in Yourself, and I am a transient expression of Your inexhaustible and eternal reality. I could not know You, I would be lost in this darkness, I would fall away from You into this void, if You did not hold me to Yourself in the Heart of Your only begotten Son. (Thoughts In Solitude, 71).

Call it synchronicity, call it a meaningless musing from a foggy mind, but for me this word from Merton will take me through the day in gratitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Choice Is Ours

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chaos, choose, Divine Light, fear, humanity, Joyce Rupp, listen, love, Psalm 145, Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness, spiritual eyes, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, wholeness

In her book Psalms for Praying: An Invitation to Wholeness, Joyce Rupp has a stunningly beautiful rendering of today’s lectionary psalm (145) that seems quite apt for our time. Let it be our prayer and hope for this day.

Divine Light shines in those who live in Love. I shall uphold all who are burdened with fear, and raise up all who call to Me. The time is nigh for you to choose, for great is the new dawn that fast approaches; I call each of you to open your inner ears, to see with spiritual eyes, and to trust that even amidst the outward chaos, all is working toward the wholeness of humanity.

*CORRECTION: 10/27/16: Although I was holding the book Psalms for Praying in my lap as I wrote yesterday, I inadvertently noted the author as Joyce Rupp, whose writings I admire greatly. The author of the above quote is really Nan Merrill.

 

 

 

 

 

Undetected Growth

Tags

bread, growth, kingdom of God, Luke, mustard seed, slow work of God, stability, Teilhard de Chardin, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, yeast

Today’s gospel from Luke (13:18-21) has Jesus talking about mustard seeds and leaven as things that grow or cause expansion, often without notice. On occasion many years ago, I was charged in the convent kitchen with “punching” the dough a few times in its process of rising to get the air out until it’s ready to be baked. I know from that practice the importance of the yeast as an essential ingredient in the success of the bread-making process. Just a little packet does the job and without it, the whole enterprise falls flat – literally.

Even more amazing to me has been my astonishment over the years of living in the country when suddenly during a spring season I have come upon a tree that seems to have doubled in size since the end of the previous summer. The first time I noticed it, the tree looked as if a geyser had spurted out a whole new story of a house on top of what was there when the winter had begun. It was amazing and made me begin to look much more closely at the trees.

I keep thinking of the question that engendered the comparison Jesus was making with the growth of mustard seeds and leavened dough. He was trying to explain what the “kingdom of God” was like. Another famous mention of the kingdom of God came to mind as I wrote. He also said, “The kingdom of God is within you.” More and more I am convinced that, if we are trying to respond to opportunities to be our best selves, our day-to-day living will be the leaven. The “invisible” growth resulting from our efforts toward love will suddenly, perhaps, become visible to us as a more peaceful, hopeful attitude that will allow us to maintain a sense of stability (like the trees) in all seasons of our lives. It isn’t as if we aren’t trying all the time but rather that we don’t always notice the results along the way. And maybe that’s the point of it all. It’s in the doing that the energy is released, not in the search for a satisfying result. I guess we have to just follow the advice of Teilhard de Chardin who urged that we “above all, trust in the slow work of God.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Be Not Indifferent, but Different

Tags

Christian, communion, compassion, Fr. Michael Crosby, Good Samaritan, justice, kindness, Luke, merciful, mercy, Peace, Pope Francis, Sisters of St. Joseph, spirituality, Year of Mercy

Yesterday I spent the day with the majority of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Albany Province listening to and interacting with Fr. Michael Crosby, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, who has become over the past several decades a strong voice for justice and spirituality not only in our Church but for the world. As we move toward the conclusion of the “Year of Mercy” we could not have a better companion and beacon of light to help us understand the nuances in the Scriptures and in our lives for the practice of mercy. Steeped in the gospels, Father Mike used especially the example of the Good Samaritan and broke it open in ways that were new and challenging. In addition, he presented us with the text of last week’s general audience of Pope Francis (10/12/16) which focused hearers on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. For those of us who are sometimes overwhelmed by conditions in the world that seem beyond our power to change, the following words of Pope Francis gave a challenge but also the possibility of a way forward.

[Jesus] taught his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  (Luke 6:36) It is a commitment that challenges the conscience and action of every Christian. In fact, it is not enough to experience God’s mercy in one’s life; it is necessary that whoever receives it becomes also a sign and instrument of it for others. Moreover, mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, but it embraces the whole of our daily existence.

How then can we be witnesses of mercy? We do not think that it has to do with making great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it is not like this. The Lord indicates to us a much simpler way, made up of little gestures, which, however, in His eyes, have great value… (emphasis mine)

The point is, is seems, to become ever more conscious of others and their needs, never allowing indifference to be our mode of operating but practicing kindness that will fund the well of compassion building in the world. In this hope, in this communion, is our peace.

 

 

Life Imitates Gospel

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advice, cultivate, Gospel, growth, hope, life, Luke, patience, spirit, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Wisdom School

It is often said that “life imitates art.” This morning’s gospel reminded me in a nearly perfect analogous situation that sometimes “life imitates gospel.” We had in our yard a beautiful hibiscus tree, a memorial to my father, that was moved early in the spring of this year out of necessity. As the year progressed I was concerned to see that it produced no flowers – even no leaves – so it seemed doomed. When our handyman asked if he should cut it down I used almost the exact words of the gospel, saying: Leave it for this year. I shall cultivate the ground around it; it may flower in the future. (LK 13:8-9) I must admit that my hope was not strong but, miraculously, just last month we saw a bit of green on a couple of branches and even a few buds. Two weeks ago, during a Wisdom School at our retreat center, I asked a participant from Maine who is an expert on all things natural and agrarian to look at it. She assured me energetically that the tree would survive and even thrive next year, telling me what nourishment would help if I’d just dig around the base and add what she wrote down for me. I don’t know what happened to the poor fig tree in the gospel but I do trust that I will see the beauty of hibiscus again next year.

A lesson from this story is, of course, the necessity of patience in addition to hope, but also sometimes a bit of advice doesn’t hurt. I have found this to be true in a number of situations recently. In the past week I was gifted more than once with conversations in which people were able to dig around in the ground of my spirit to loosen some of what they could see in me that I couldn’t. If I pay attention and winter well, I might see some growth in those areas by spring. I’ll be watching in me and my hibiscus for the flowering  I attend to the regular care and feeding of both of us.

 

 

 

 

 

Paul Urges Us

Tags

changed, Ephesians, faith, gentleness, humility, love, Peace, retreat, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust, unity of spirit

In a timeless manner, St. Paul’s letter to the Ephesians (4:1-6) gives us a perfect message as we leave this retreat today and go about our lives, all changed in some way, perhaps unrealized until a later date, but changed nevertheless. It seems to me a word to urge us on with faith and trust in whatever unfolds in our personal and communal future.

Brothers and Sisters, I urge you to live in a manner worthy of the call you have  received with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, striving to preserve the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace…

Blessings to all on this day.