Seventy Times Seven

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begin again, blessing, Ezekiel, forgiveness, freedom, John Philip Newell, light, mercy, new day, Praying With the Earth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The readings for today are all about transgressions and the need for forgiveness, from Ezekiel to the word of Jesus about the need to forgive 70 X 7 times. Synchronistically, John Philip Newell has a Prayer of Awareness for Thursday morning in his book, Praying with the Earth. Simple and short, it is sufficient for my reflection for this day.

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 of this new day. (p. 34)

 

 

 

 

 

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Do It Yourself

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challenge, crimes, Ezekiel, gentler, heart, kinder, live, return, spirit, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The daily Scriptures continue to surprise me. Just when I think I have the important messages memorized, a verse shows up saying something I don’t remember ever hearing before. This morning it’s from Ezekiel. I’ve been confident for as long as I remember, knowing that God said “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you…” but this morning the verse before the gospel stuns me with: “Cast away from you all the crimes that you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (EZ 18:31) That sounds like the retort of Jesus when the disciples tell him the huge crowd that’s been following him needs food and he says, “Give them something to eat yourselves.”

The Scriptures do note that occasionally Jesus says something to challenge them before he does something extraordinary to solve the situation – as in the miracle of the loaves. But this is different. This is the God of the Hebrew nation speaking about radical life change. Jesus does become the model for this, teaching us to live from the heart in compassionate love regardless of the consequences. It cost him his life. If, however, we are to develop such a generous spirit it has to come from the inside – from our own decision and action. A prayer of “God, make me kinder, gentler” isn’t answered with the wave of a wand. It takes constant practice and sometimes vigilance to achieve and there is always possibility for us to fall back into selfishness or lassitude.

There is a bit of encouragement for us here, however, as Ezekiel ends God’s message with the following verse intimating that it isn’t all on us to succeed; God will be our cheerleader in the process. “Why should you die, O house of Israel?” God asks. “For I have no pleasure in the death of anyone who dies. Return and live!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheep

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care, Christ the King, Ezekiel, Good Shepherd, homelessness, humanity, hunger, illness, justice, love, Matthew, Psalm 23, sheep, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I just spent about a half hour reading on the internet about sheep. I never got past the basic information about things like their color (some are very dark brown while most are white), life expectancy (10 – 12 years), amazing peripheral vision (270-320 degrees) which allows them to see behind them, two sets of teeth, excellent hearing and scent glands in front of their eyes and between their toes!!

As I read of their history and the places where they are found (mostly now in Australia, New Zealand, south and central South America and the British Isles) and of their habits, I realized how little I know of these members of the animal kingdom. Much of what I know is from shopping for sweaters, from a few movies about sheep farmers and – of course – from Scripture.

Today, the “Solemnity of Christ the King” offers Scripture texts that use sheep as a metaphor to speak of the kind of king we envision as the “Lord of Heaven and Earth.” The gospel (MT 25) describes a king who rules not with an iron hand but one who “separates the sheep from the goats” at the end of time with the law of love. The measure of this kind of justice is care for the neighbor: feeding, clothing, sheltering and visiting the sick and imprisoned. The surprise is the revelation that when we think our love of neighbor is just simple human charity and do it naturally, God sees it as “superhuman,” a godly act. Or maybe there is no difference…

Of the most universally recognized Scripture passages, those that describe God in the role of shepherd – today in Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 23 – are most familiar. Thus, it was not Jesus that first conjectured God’s action in this way; it had been part of the tradition for centuries before his time. Throughout all the tumult of the history of the “chosen people” (among whom we now count ourselves) the thread of God as shepherd has been the model for ruler and servant as well. And we, as God’s flock, can be assured that we will be cared for as those in the charge of a “good” shepherd are. Whether we stay close in the sheepfold or wander off, we can be sure we will always be under the eye of the One who comes searching for us until we are found.

Why, then, would we not care for one another as we ourselves are always cared for? “God is God and we are not,” we might answer. “There is so much hunger and homelessness and illness in the world; how can we solve it all?” “You aren’t the only sheep in the flock. Stay with the flock and just do your part,” I hear God saying to us. “Follow my lead and don’t feel like you have to do it all. Just do your part, and leave the rest to me.” Put that way, it might just be a question of exercising our humanity after all…

 

 

 

 

 

Cooperation

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bad, division, Ezekiel, good, heart, new heart, new spirit, passivity, prophet, reconciliation, responsibility, sins, spiritual path, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity, violence

I’ve always been partial to Ezekiel’s verse in chapter 36 that has God saying, “I will take from you your stony hearts and give you natural hearts…” It’s something I hold onto when I’m feeling ungenerous or grumpy – or worse. This morning however, in the earlier text from Ezekiel, chapter 18: 21-28, I read a serious message about bad and good behavior and the consequences of turning in one direction or the other. In case we miss it in the first reading, the verse before the gospel says this: Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. (18:31) The lesson for today, then, is that we have a responsibility to work toward restoring ourselves to God’s image rather than letting God do all the work.

There is more to this story, however, that resolves the apparent contradiction in the above comments. Why did Ezekiel change his mind from chapter 18 to chapter 36? The story goes that Ezekiel became a prophet in Babylon during the exile, and “his first task was to prepare his fellow countrymen in Babylon for the final destruction of Jerusalem, which they believed to be inviolable. Accordingly, the first part of his book consists of reproaches for Israel’s past and present sins and the confident prediction of yet a further devastation of the land of promise and a more general exile. In 587 BCE, when Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Jerusalem, Ezekiel was vindicated before his unbelieving compatriots.” (New American Bible commentary, p. 972)

The good news of Ezekiel’s prophecy which I quoted at the beginning of this reflection is that God never does abandon the human race, but there are questions that arise, I think, from a comparison of the Israelites’ situation to the state of our fractured nation today. Have we been shaken enough by the division and violence that continues to occur in our country and the world to wake up? Will we take the responsibility to change our own hearts and cooperate with God in moving toward unity and care for one another before we devolve into a people who will lose any semblance of humanity? I know those questions sound alarmist and dire but the story of the Israelites this morning calls me to look deeply into my own spirit and ask myself about my behavior. Am I so sure that I am “above the fray” by saying my life is on a spiritual path? Do I avoid difficult conversations because I think I have the right answers and don’t trust people on “the other side” to be rational about differences? Is praying for movement toward peace and reconciliation enough to do if I am unwilling to leave my prayer space to reach out to anyone I see as unsafe or uncomfortable? The blindness of the Israelites and the severity of Ezekiel’s message this morning have touched me as never before and shaken my passivity as one who believes that God will always save us. I still know that truth but now ask myself how long I am willing to watch what we are doing to each other before I give God some active help in the effort of our reconciliation. A sobering question for this first Friday of Lent…

 

 

 

 

 

 

More Good News

Tags

admirable, Catholic Relief Services, clean heart, corruption, Ezekiel, gratitude, lobby, Louisiana flooding, new spirit, politics, renewal, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vilification, world community

I’ve had a bit of a theme running through the past several days of my thinking – and reflected somewhat in different ways in my writing. It started on Saturday where I heard Ezekiel asking God to “create a clean heart in me” and has had several threads constellating around the fact that my hope, not only for my own renewal but that of the world community, resides in large part in the young people of the world, especially those who have seen good in their elders. It may be a stretch to see the last five days like that but let me explain my reasons for that conclusion.

Things are looking pretty grim in the goings-on in the political discourse of the country, vilification being the order of the day as we come ever to closer November elections. Counteracting that, however, has been joy in interviews with Olympians – especially those still in or just out of their teens – who gushed with gratitude for the support they have had from family, coaches and just about everyone in the known world. And their generosity to one another, congratulating one another and even going as far as stopping after a fall to walk to the end of the race with the person over whom they had tumbled because she was hurt, has been heartbreakingly admirable.

Stories of corruption in our cities and even high in state government this past week make me wonder if we will ever have a functional polity again. But then there was the mayor of one of the cities in Louisiana who was asked last night as he was rescuing folks from their flooded homes whether his house had been flooded. He answered, “Yes, we have water. I’ll get to it when I can…” And then this morning I watched a short video about 100 college students, part of a program of Catholic Relief Services called Student Ambassador Leadership Training, who traveled  to Washington, D.C. to lobby their congresspersons on issues of human trafficking, climate change and refugee migration. Their stated purpose was to advocate to those in power in our government, “giving voice to the voiceless” because it was the right thing to do.

Examples of those who understand what it means to “lobby” God for a clean heart have been everywhere this week and prepared me for this day as I read the promise of God, again from Ezekiel.

I will sprinkle clean water upon you to cleanse you from all your impurities, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts. I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes, careful to observe my decrees. You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people and I will be your God. (EZ 36:23-28)

That’s a promise I can believe in and a world that I hope to see.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Job

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converted, crimes, Ezekiel, House of Israel, job description, new heart, new spirit, psalm 51, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I’m pretty well-versed in Scripture passages that call on God to make me a better person. One of the most familiar to me is Psalm 51, which I fell right into reciting this morning as I read: A clean heart create for me, O God, and a steadfast spirit renew within me…I was, however, somewhat surprised by the end of the previous reading from the prophet Ezekiel and went back to read it again after finding what I expected in Psalm 51. It sounds like a slight difference in nuance but makes a huge difference in “job description” between us and God. Here’s what it says at the end of a long commentary on the virtuous and unvirtuous in “the House of Israel”:

Turn and be converted from all your crimes, that they may be no cause of guilt for you. Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, and make for yourself a new heart and a new spirit. (EZ 18:31)

Maybe I’m putting too much of a fine point on things but that seems a new wrinkle in the fabric of responsibility in my life. I thought we were supposed to turn from our “crimes” – large or small – and that God would be the one to create our hearts anew – a perspective consonant wit the psalmist’s view. This looks like we need to wake up to our own more participative role in becoming who we are called to be. It’s just a thought – but for me a quite powerful distinction that does not allow me to passively wait for God’s action in my life but rather to join God in the process of realizing my own deepest, most authentic self.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Heart of the Shepherd

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Ezekiel, hearts, love of God, Psalm 23, sacred heart of Jesus, sheep, shepherd, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Somewhat distractedly, I began to skim the lectionary readings for today. First it was Ezechiel talking about God tending sheep – which always conjures up in me a vague envy for the life of a sheep herder or a dairy farmer (a more realistic choice for our day and location). It’s unrealistic, I know, but there’s something about seeing the animals in the simplicity of their lives – just grazing and having a routine with someone to care for them who moves through the days in relative quiet…Idyllic, no? Well, although I know the reality to be more difficult than that description, there is a warm feeling that arises when I read EZ 34: 11-16 as I did this morning. Then came the 23rd psalm and by the time I got to a second reading before the gospel I realized today must be a special feast in the Church.  And so it is. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, simply described, as Paul does, in the letter to the Romans (5:5) by the declaration: “Brothers and sisters, the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” The gospel completes the metaphoric shepherd references with the wonderful question of Jesus: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine and go after the lost one until he finds it?”

It’s all about love, you see – the kind of love that is selfless enough to always think of the good the other more than our own comfort. Jesus was trying to convey that message about God by using something the people were familiar with in order for them to get the message. As I write I hear the melody of a “shepherd song” composed long ago by the St. Louis Jesuits that still conveys the message, not only of care but of tenderness, to me. The refrain says this: Like a shepherd he feeds his flock and carries the lambs in his arms, holding them carefully close to his heart, leading them home.

This is a wonderful day to think of what and whom we love and what it is that makes this love flow out of our hearts. If I love my job, is it because I earn a lot of money, or is it the service I provide and the relationships that develop because of what I do? If I love my family and/or friends, is it because there is never a disturbance – our days being placid and we unruffled by any occurrence? Or is it that there is some long-term commitment and care that has built up trust so that no matter the difficulties, we are in the relationships “for the long haul?” Admittedly, it is easy to feel the love in the easy times but think about the deepening that moments of reconciliation after distress lead to in a relationship. It’s that way with God too. When we are the “found sheep” we are likely able to hear God’s heartbeat more clearly as we are held close, as we are led home…Such a God is ours, such a grace is God’s love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even Now…

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Ezekiel, God waits, gracious, Joel, John, Lazarus, merciful, regrets, Roman Catholic, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time

Once again this Sunday there are two sets of readings in our lectionary in recognition of those people preparing to join in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. And once again, from all possible choices, it is a small phrase from the verse before the gospel that sets my mind on a path of reflection. As God’s messenger, the prophet Joel cries out: Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful. No matter if you are the woman caught in adultery (JN 8:1-11) or if you are already dead (EZ 37:12-14) or Lazarus (JN 11:1-45)…Even now it’s not too late for God to act.

Several times lately I have had conversations about how quickly time seems to be passing and often those conversations include a quiver of disbelief about how old we are at present. Sometimes those musings are tinged with regret about what we have left undone or how slow and undisciplined we are in achieving daily or long-term goals. How reassuring, then and always, it is to hear God’s voice saying (more gently than the prophet’s cry) Even now, return…even now, I wait for you…even now I love you completely…even now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do It Yourself

Tags

discipline, doormats, Ezekiel, humility, Lenten journey, Matthew, new heart, new spirit, practice what you preach, psalm 50, responsibility, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s readings are very clear that discipline is an inside job. I noticed it first in the verse before the gospel which proclaimed, “Cast away from you all the crimes you have committed, says the Lord, and make for yourselves a new heart and a new spirit.” (EZ 18:31) This is different from the more familiar (to me anyway) line about God saying, “I will take from you your stony hearts and give to you natural hearts.” Today God is calling us to responsibility; we need to do the work of repentance, not just talk about it. In Psalm 50, God asks, “Why do you recite my statutes, and profess my covenant with your mouth, though you hate discipline and cast my words behind you?” That makes me think of the old adage, Say what you mean and mean what you say.

The gospel gives us another familiar line that moves the conversation from a consideration of our speech to action. He’s speaking to the crowds about the scribes and the Pharisees (the people in charge) but we can all take to heart the lesson: Practice what you preach from the descriptions of what Jesus is talking about. “For they preach but do not practice. They tie up heavy burdens hard to carry and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they do not lift a finger to move them. All their works are performed to be seen…They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues, greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.'” The advice of Jesus ends the reading and is a good reminder for all of us. “The greatest among you,” Jesus says, “must be your servant. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.” (MT 23:1-12)

Just a caveat about that last quote. Jesus is not interested in us making ourselves “doormats” for people to walk over. He is talking about mature service and true humility, qualities that can never be faked because they come from the inside, not from any action we can perform. So today I will “watch my step” on this Lenten journey, making sure I’m not looking for applause but doing my best to be authentic in all I do for God and for those I meet along the way.

This New Day

Tags

candidates, Catholic Church, Ezekiel, jeremiah, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wake up

Once again this Sunday there are two sets of readings to choose from as candidates for reception into the Catholic Church are called to reflection on conversion of heart. All those participating in the liturgical ritual are asked to join in this reflection as we have come to know that conversion is an on-going process in our lives. Those parish communities which do not have converts hear the prophet Jeremiah delivering God’s message that promises “I will place my law within them and write it on their hearts…” while those that are preparing to welcome new members will hear Ezekiel speaking God’s word that “I will put my spirit in you that you may live.”

These are welcome words for all of us on days when we realize that we need a new infusion of energy in our days. Whether we have just come through a long period of struggle or have just had an unusually “bad day” for some reason, it is comforting to know that God is standing ready to massage our heart and revive our spirit, enabling us to “wake up” to a new day – every day.