Tags
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)
We know only two things about St. Matthew whose feast we celebrate today. First, we know him as a tax collector and secondly that he responded to the call of Jesus who approached him with the command: “Follow me,” and later was credited with the Gospel that bears his name. In the time of Jesus, tax collectors were not beloved members of society. It seems that, once again, Jesus was trying to make an important point by calling Matthew to be a disciple – a call that Matthew was unlikely to accept in the unquestioning way that he did. He was making some money, after all, and his job was likely secure. But Matthew got up from his customs post and seems to have never questioned the motives of Jesus or his own response. Clearly, others questioned however! “Why does the teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” they boldly said – not thinking of any transgressions they themselves might have committed. Jesus was clear in his response to these queries. “I desire mercy, not sacrifice. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
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.
The Sophia Center for Spirituality 