Float

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discovery, encouragement, float, follow, Jesus, Society of Saint John the Evangelist, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I read something just now that seems so perfect for summer as well as for a time when things can seem to get out of hand. It is from one of the brothers at the Society of St. John the Evangelist (ssje.org). I plan to let it be the thought that guides me through the day. It’s entitled “Float.” See what you think.

Our attempt to handle life on our own is like trying to stay above water in the deep end of the pool by flailing with all our might. But Jesus is in the water with us, encouraging us to lean back as he supports us, ready to remove his hand and lead us to the delightful discovery that we can indeed float if we will just follow his instruction. (Br. Jim Woodrum)

Blessings on your day!

The Heart of a Shepherd

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alert, be watchful, gentle, intentions, leader, sacred heart of Jesus, sheep, shepherd, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unconditional love

It’s interesting to me that on this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the readings lead us to the relationship between a shepherd and his/her sheep. It makes sense, however, if we consider the care that a dedicated shepherd shows to the sheep. What might that mean?

1. A good shepherd leads the sheep rather than herding them from behind.
2. A shepherd is careful to watch the sheep and protect them from eating poisonous plants or encountering dangerous predators.
3. In most cases, shepherds lead their sheep each day to fresh grazing areas of good forage and bring them back to the same area each night.
4. When one sheep decides to go somewhere, others follow so the shepherd must be alert to the “intentions” and actions of the sheep.
5. Sheep have excellent peripheral vision, being able even to see what is behind them without even turning their heads, but they cannot see what is right under their noses, so need the guidance of a shepherd.
6. The relationship of shepherd to sheep is generally a gentle one and caring. To quote Jesus: “I know mine and mine know me.” (Wikipedia)

It’s easy to see why the image of “the Good Shepherd” is fitting for this feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the symbol of unconditional love. If we, then, are the sheep of that Good Shepherd, how blessed are we to be so cared for!

Consequences

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Abram, consequences, generosity, Genesis, hearts, jealousy, Meg Wheatley, perseverance, Sarai, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

After reading today’s text from the lectionary (GN 16:6B-12, 15-16) about Sarai’s inability to have children and her acquiescence to Abram’s need for an heir, I found her decision to “give” her maidservant, Hagar, to him as his concubine rather surprising. Actually, it was her behavior after the decision that belied the seeming generosity of her decision. She was very abusive of Hagar when Hagar became pregnant! Serendipitously, without any effort on my part, (Does anything really happen “by chance?”) I opened Meg Wheatley’s book, Perseverance, and found the following:

Jealousy and generosity are reverse images of one another. In response to any circumstance, one or the other will arise, guaranteed. Since they inhabit the same space, only one can appear at any time; they cancel each other out. Jealousy arises as generosity disappears, generosity flourishes as jealousy is stilled…

As closely connected as jealousy and generosity are, they create very different consequences. If jealousy predominates, we turn inward, shrivel our hearts, and lose strength. If generosity grows, we grow also. Our world expands. We realize there is enough to go round…

The world expands from the inside out – it’s our hearts that have enlarged. We not only feel more loving, we’re also more open and aware. We see more, we take in more, we let in more.

Jealousy is such a waste of a good human heart. (p. 75)

Sacred Contracts

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Abram, contract, covenant, Genesis, Psalm 105, sacrifice, spiritual agreement, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The lectionary readings today speak loudly of covenants. The best and most dramatic story is from Genesis where God directs Abram to prepare a series of animals and birds for sacrifice and then sends a fire to “seal the deal.” (GEN 15: 1-12, 17-18)

I learned long ago that with reference to God and humans, a covenant is a contract between God and people. This morning I wanted something more sacred and found a short paragraph on the internet that satisfied me. It explained it as follows:

There are some fundamental differences between a covenant and a contract. While a contract is legally binding, a covenant is a spiritual agreement. A contract is an agreement between parties while a covenant is a pledge. A contract exchanges one good for another, while a covenant is giving oneself to the other.

How comforting is is to know – as Psalm 105 reminds us today – that “the Lord remembers his covenant forever.” My question to myself today is: Am I willing to do the same, always remembering my covenant with God?

Holy Land

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Abram, Genesis, listening, Lot, Peace, separate, surrender, the Holy Land, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, willingness

Occasionally – not often but once in awhile – when I read the lectionary texts from the Bible I long for “the old days” – a simpler time. This morning’s reading from Genesis (GN 13:2, 5-18) has Abram and Lot in conversation about their many possessions and how the land can’t support both of them; their herdsmen were quarreling. So Abram simply says to Lot, “We’re kinsmen; we don’t want any strife between our herdsmen or ourselves. Let’s separate. If you want to go left, I’ll go right and vice versa.” So Lot went east and Abram stayed in Canaan – just like that.

Would that things could be settled today in like manner. But no, the strife in “the Holy Land” goes on and on with no peace on the horizon. How are we to interpret God’s promises in these complex times? Certainly not with contentious rhetoric or weapons. How can God break through to the hearts of all parties in a way that will bring peace to the Middle East? Only, it seems, by listening more deeply to the hearts of one another and allowing love for God and for the land to be the impetus for reconciliation. It will take great leaders and great willingness to surrender on the part of everyone in order to see the truth that all are one in God and that there is enough for everyone’s need. May it be true in our day. May peace come to reign once again, I pray.

Cousins and Friends

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baptize, cousins, family, Jesus, John the Baptist, relationship, relatives, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is the commemoration of the birth of John the Baptist. Tradition tells us that he and Jesus were related, probably cousins. In addition, John was an important figure in the life of Jesus. In the synoptic gospel texts (Matthew, Mark and Luke) we meet John the Baptist as the one who recognized Jesus most clearly and wanted Jesus to baptize him. Jesus convinced John, however, that he was to be baptized by John and John reluctantly acquiesced. Although somewhat rare, John’s appearances in the gospels were significant and his dedication to the ministry of Jesus was complete.

I wonder about the “in-between” times in their relationship. Did they ever play together when they were children? It seems they didn’t live in proximity to one another. Were there family visits? In adulthood, John seemed to be a renunciate, described as being in the desert and having a stringent diet – much different from our picture of Jesus. It seems likely that the baptism encounter was the first meeting of the two men – at least in their adult life – but that something in them “recognized” each other.

Having moved to another state at the age of 12 and then entered the convent at 18, in the days when there was little connection with the “outside world,” I have rare encounters with cousins but understand the connection that can endure beyond the times of physical presence. Today I plan to bring to mind each of my 17 first cousins and pray in gratitude for the ways in which they have touched my life, especially those who have become friends to me.

Corpus Christi

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Corpus Christi, Eucharist, incarnate, real presence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, The Velveteen Rabbit

“Corpus Christi” is a Latin term for “Body of Christ.” It speaks of a mystery and as such is impossible to explain in the world of physical reality. The actual feast was promulgated in the Church in the thirteenth century by Pope Urban IV at the urging of Saint Thomas Aquinas to celebrate the real presence (“body and blood, soul and divinity”) of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist. The roots of the feast, however, go back all the way to the meal that Jesus celebrated with his closest associates before his death. We call it “the Last Supper.” Today’s lectionary readings include the testimony of St Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians where he writes:

I received from the Lord what I handed on to you, that the Lord Jesus, on the night before he was handed over, took bread, and, after he had given thanks, broke it and said, “This is my body that is for you. Do this in in remembrance of me.”

From this testimony has come the doctrine of “the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.” Not just a symbol, Catholic teaching says, but real presence. How are we to interpret such a mystery?

It may seem irreverent to speak of the great mystery of this feast with reference to the story of The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams but somehow it seems to make sense to me today. “What is real?” said the Rabbit to the Skin Horse one day? “Real isn’t how you are made ,” said the Skin Horse. “It’s a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with but REALLY loves you, then you become Real.”

At the Last Supper, it seems that Jesus was trying to make his friends understand how much he loved them and had tried to teach them the love that God had for them. He wanted to incarnate that love by giving them his whole self. We cannot understand that gift in a brief encounter. It takes a very long time to experience the depth of a love like that – for it to become real. When it does, it can never be taken away and then we realize that we, too, have become a real presence for the world.

Three Little Words

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Corinthians, goodness, grace, Matthew, psalm 34, taste, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worry

As I read the lectionary texts for today, I thought that the following lines – one from each reading although not in sequential order – created a fine message for a Saturday. Or any day.

1. My grace is sufficient for you. (2 COR)
2. Do not worry about your life. (MT 6)
3. Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.
    (PS 34)

Summer Solstice

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courage, Divine Light, invigorate, Macrina Wiederkehr, rejuvenate, seven sacred pauses, solstice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today, at 11:54 am, Google tells me, we in the northern hemisphere will mark – and perhaps celebrate – that moment that we call the summer solstice. It is the moment when the earth is bowing most graciously toward the sun, lyrically speaking, giving us our longest day of the year. I am always amazed when I begin to read all of the scientific research about the angle of tilt and how it has changed over billions of years, etc. to recognize the fact that all this continues to happen regularly – one might say “in spite of us.” So here is what might be a prayer in gratitude and desire for the blessing of earth’s relationship to the sun as we mark at 11:54 this miracle of our universe.

Beautiful reflection of divine light, shine on me at this noonday hour. Rejuvenate and invigorate me. Renew my commitment to the tasks of this day. Lead me to my courage. Warm what has grown cold in me. Energize all that has become lethargic. Enliven my growing moments. In the middle of this day help me to stand before my life with all who have gone before me, I pray. (seven sacred pauses by Macrina Wiederkehr, p. 105)

It’s About Forgiveness

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deliver us from evil, forgive, forgiveness, John Philip Newell, Matthew, The Lord's Prayer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

What does one say about the prayer that Jesus himself taught that has lasted and been learned universally since? I don’t even remember learning the Lord’s Prayer – the Our Father. It has just always been a part of me, albeit not always followed to the letter. It seems sometimes that the most difficult part is the line that says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive…”

I noticed this morning that the gospel didn’t end with the hope of being delivered from evil. There was an addendum of sorts (MT 5:15) that puts a fine point on the forgiveness issue, as if Jesus is saying, “Did you get that? Did you hear what I said? Let me be really clear about this.” It seems that if we don’t forgive others, God will perhaps withhold forgiveness from us. (If you forgive others their transgressions, your Heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, neither will your Father forgive your transgressions.) That was rather astonishing to me, given my perception of God’s love and grace. It struck me this morning as a deeper way to live the gospel – a sure way to share in bringing light to the world.

I had decided that most likely everyone who reads what I write would find those thoughts rather overstated, like something that we already knew and wouldn’t find it necessary to be reminded of…so I picked up John Philip Newell’s book, Praying with the Earth, in search of something more thought provoking. I found the prayer for Thursday morning (today) to say the following:

We wake to the forgiveness of a new day. We wake to the freedom to begin again. We wake to the mercy of the sun’s redeeming light, always new, always gift, always blessing. We wake to the forgiveness this new day. (p. 34)

Why am I not surprised? From the shock of thinking that I won’t be forgiven if I fail to forgive sometimes, I find myself reassured that I can always start over – every day – to try again. That doesn’t let me off the hook but it certainly helps me to forgive myself for my failure – which then gives the impetus to try again. So God is still the God who forgives me but that forgiveness is not a free pass to heaven. I am responsible to live always from a heart steeped in forgiveness of others as my very own self. Really and truly…every time.