Pay Attention!

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attention, discernment, Isaiah, law of the Lord, meditate, psalm 1, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, wisdom

Today it seems that we are once more being called to attend to messages that offer us clear directives for good living in a succinct and understandable way. I use the plural “messages” but in the end I see all three readings as constitutive of an overarching theme.

Isaiah (48: 17-19) proclaims God’s willingness to teach us what is for our good if we would hearken to God’s commandments. (The rewards are all nature images – beautiful and worth your time to read.) Next, Psalm 1 tells us that if we meditate on and delight in the law of the Lord, we will prosper (again – interestingly – with nature images).

What this says to me is that we’re called to a consistent and steadfast attention to discernment of what is for our good and what is not, if we are to learn wisdom. It doesn’t help to observe the practices of others and thereby judge them. Truth is the measure of what we learn in the silence of our hearts. After the advice of Isaiah and the psalmist, we hear Jesus speak in rather stark language about this. Listen to what he says.

“To what shall I compare this generation? It’s like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played for you but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

What do you make of all this?

Pay Attention!

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attention, awareness, compassion, grief, Jesus, John the Baptist, loss, Matthew, needs, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Sometimes I feel so sorry for Jesus. In today’s gospel (MT 14:13-21) there are three distinct moments when Jesus could have used a kind word but no one noticed. The first line is the saddest:
1. “When Jesus learned of the death of John the Baptist, he withdrew in a boat to a deserted place by himself.” Of course he did!! This was his relative and dear friend who had baptized him and recognized who he was immediately. With him gone, Jesus would certainly have been bereft.
2. Even then, the crowds followed him. (I’m hoping they just weren’t informed about John because had they known they would have given him some space to grieve.) They were waiting from him when his boat pulled in to the shore and in his great sense of compassion, he tended to their needs – putting his own feelings aside. He cured them.
3. I’m wondering why the disciples couldn’t see his sadness. They seemed to just be concerned to have him disperse the crowds so they, themselves, wouldn’t have to figure out what to do next. I love the challenge he offered them when he said, “There’s no need for them to go away. Give them some food yourselves.” Of course they had no idea how to do that, but once again compassion reigned and Jesus taught a great lesson.

All of this in the midst of his grief! What lessons might we learn from this reading? Once again, I would say “Awareness, awareness, awareness!” Look beyond what is in front of you to what is inside the person before you. See always with an eye of compassion in the generous manner of Jesus.

Beginning Again

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attention, beginning, Easter Vigil, Genesis, God's gifts, prayer, spirit, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I was surprised this morning as I clicked on the usccb website to find that the first reading for this “ordinary” Monday was the beginning of the Book of Genesis (1:1-19). I expect that text at the Easter Vigil when the Church is all dark and a powerful voice (if we’re lucky) booms out: “IN THE BEGINNING…” and we wait for each day of creation, able to visualize the appearance of light and sky and dry land and vegetation and stars…and everything that we know about our universe. It is a glorious experience each year! I don’t remember ever seeing that text on an ordinary day – and actually, this morning it only goes as far as day four. Happily that included the sun, moon and stars, some of my favorites of God’s gifts.

I wonder what message I can take on this day when I will be working at home rather than at my office. What will I create today? Certainly nothing so vast as the universe! Will it be the day that I take another slip of my prayer plant to start it growing in someone else’s life? Maybe I’m just supposed to listen today to see what the world brings to me. Might I just walk more lightly or eat more consciously or read some amazing sentence that takes my breath away?

Certainly this is a day to pay attention and the best next thing to do to assure I put myself in the place of most opportunity is to go to my prayer mat and open myself to the Spirit “brooding over the waters…”

Going Forward…Again

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attention, awareness, Benedictine, connectedness, discipline, Joan Chittister, list, prayer, reading, spirituality, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This early rising time – 5:20 again this morning – seems a throwback to when I was first in the convent! At issue now, however, is the fact that I wake up at this time after only five or six hours of sleep (when my “normal” is eight) and am not able to go back for more rest, which has serious consequences later in the day. With my coffee just now I decided to make a list of important things not to forget for today and tomorrow. No wonder I’ve already entered a mental marathon! Within about three minutes I had 25 things on my list! They aren’t all very time-consuming, but still…

I read a few lines from Joan Chittister when I finally gave in to the dawning of day. I was reminded immediately of the importance of prayer and reading to Benedictine spirituality and the rule that she says “does not call for either great works or great denial. It simply calls for connectedness…with God, with others and with our inmost selves. It (the Rule) is for ordinary people who live ordinary lives.” But it calls us to attention and awareness.

That’s why I need my list. Lately I feel as if I have let the weather determine my activities and see the hours slipping away in lassitude. A little discipline is good for the soul. So here I am – determined enough to regroup and take my list in hand, willing to admit my shortcomings to the world in order that I might get back to a deeper connectedness and well-ordered living.

May it be so this very day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Come to Your Senses

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attention, compassion, daily practice, Genesis, God, gratitude, hearing, intention, open my heart, prayer, seeing, senses, smelling, tasting, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, touching

In the Genesis story of disobedience in chapter 3 (1-8), when both Adam and Eve had “eaten of the fruit,” the text tells us, “Then the eyes of both of them were opened,” and they saw the truth of what they had done. In the gospel of Mark (7:31-37) there is a story of the healing by Jesus of a man in the district of Decapolis. “Ephphatha,” he said, touching his ears and tongue and “immediately the man’s ears were opened and his speech impediment was removed.”

Upon a first read of these stories I began to think about our five most basic human senses: seeing, hearing, touching, tasting and smelling. What precious gifts they are! I can’t say I often take them for granted since everywhere I go I am wowed by the sights and sounds of God’s creation. I am similarly moved by the experience of smells that come wafting from the kitchen and the tastes of what has drawn me to dinner. And then there is the touch of another’s hand or a full body hug in the greeting between friends who come together after a long absence. Gratitude for the magnificent creation of our physical bodies and compassion for those who are diminished by their lack ought to be given more than the passing thought. Conscious attention in all that we do should be a daily practice.

My deepest prayer in response to these readings today comes, however, from the gospel acclamation, for it is here that the central motivation of all our actions resides. “Open my heart, O Lord,” we pray, “that we may listen to the words You speak.” May that be our prayer and our intention each and every day of our lives.

 

 

 

 

 

 

God’s Desire

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attention, centering prayer, God's eyes, God's presence, intention, love, Psalm 147, recognition, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust

Last evening I shared some thoughts on contemplative prayer with a friendly group of people in Syracuse, NY. We were speaking specifically of the method of Centering Prayer, different from other forms of meditation in that the practice is one of intention rather than attention. One simply makes the intention to be in God’s presence and then lets go of all thoughts as they arise during the period of silence. I said at one point that God’s presence is assured; it is our consciousness that wanders away. All we need to do is to return to the One who always waits for us.

In this morning’s psalm, I read a line from a modern translation that supports my image of God companioning me during the prayer. It reminds me of something I heard long ago that says, “Our desire for God is also God’s desire for us” but goes even deeper in touching my heart. Listen as you read it aloud. Then picture yourself looking at God and seeing this desire in God’s eyes.

God searches out the faces turned in love and trust with eyes that long to catch our glimpse of recognition. (PS 147:12) May we all be blessed with the ability to recognize God in this day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little Words

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attention, forgive, home, Luke, Our Father, prayer, solidarity, The Lord's Prayer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thich Nhat Hanh

In these days when interfaith exchange is becoming more common, it is wonderful to hear similar sentiments from very diverse spiritual leaders. One of the most striking examples of this is a book called Living Buddha, Living Christ by the widely esteemed and beloved teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh. Also common now are interdenominational gatherings of Christians commemorating some tragic event or praying for peace or at a wedding ceremony where the Lord’s Prayer is recited and everyone knows the words! It is a comfortable feeling of “home” and solidarity to say or sing it in unison at such times. It is one of the first prayers to be taught to Christian children and the last recitation heard at many a deathbed. And sometimes, as with other memorized texts, we fail to be conscious of the sentiments expressed.

What is it that we are seeking from our Heavenly Father when we recite this prayer? Luke gives us the “stripped down” version in the gospel this morning (LK 11:1-4) that first praises God’s name and purpose (Hallowed be your name; your kingdom come). Then we ask for what will sustain us each day, seen as simple food but representing much more (Give us each day our daily bread), and ask forgiveness for our failures in our dealings with others (Forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us). Lastly we ask not to be tested beyond our capacity at the end of our life (Do not submit us to the final test).

Whatever the translation, if I am really paying attention, there is usually some little shift that I notice – a small word perhaps, or some phrase that is so very applicable to my life at the moment. Today it is about that forgiveness ability that I long for. For me the line has always been “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” I’m used to the big changes like “debts” or “sins” in place of “trespasses” – which make sense. This morning, however, I’m stopped by the shift in the preposition that tells God why we should be forgiven. It says for instead of as we have forgiven…Usually I think of God measuring how much I have forgiven hurts against me and then forgiving me that much (as). Today, it looks like God expects me to have forgiven everyone – like there’s no question of that having happened already (for = because). Definitely enough to ponder for today!

 

The Narrow Gate

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attention, choices, courageous actions, deep love, Do to others whatever you would have them do to you, Jesus, limits, Matthew, the narrow gate, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, travel

When I’m packing up for a trip, if I’m driving rather than going by plane, I often have several extraneous items in addition to a suitcase. It becomes sort of a game to see if I can carry everything to the car at once rather than making numerous trips. There have been occasions where maneuvering the suitcase as well as bags slung over my wrists and keys in my hand cause me to go sideways through the door of the house. Sometimes I have to admit defeat and leave something behind to retrieve when I have opened the car doors and come back for more. I thought of this today when I read the never-ending, amazing sermon that continues to deliver one-liners that are not to be ignored. This one is actually two verses long (MT 7:12-14) but worth consideration nonetheless. Jesus says, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and those who enter through it are many. How narrow the gate and constricted the road that leads to life. And those who find it are few.”

We have lots of choices in life. Sometimes I wish there were fewer – or even just one – so it would be easier to know what to do. I think of the two possibilities of travel to Hallelujah Farm in New Hampshire where some of our Wisdom Schools are held. While the New York State Thruway, the Massachusetts Turnpike and Interstate Route 91 is a speedier and wider route to take than Routes 7 & 9 through Vermont, I always choose the latter if I’m driving. Less traffic and more beauty are the criteria that I choose – even though if I get behind a truck on the two-lane road it necessitates patience. Limits call for attention – in travel and in life. Narrow roads, courageous actions, deep love…all take us out of monotony and the ordinary in our days, slowing us down to more mindful opportunities for response.

Oh, and the other line this morning is just one line, pertinent here for sure: Do to others whatever you would have them do to you. (MT 7:6) Safe travels, everyone.