All Saints

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All Saints Day, blessed, compassion, fidelity, goodness, holy, kindness, love, saints, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today we join with people all over the world in solemn celebration of those we call “saint.” It is one of those days when each of the several lectionary readings begs for attention as they all echo the wondrous history of holy men and women, known and unknown, whose stories tell of the power and love of God. These are the “canonized” saints – the ones recognized by our Churches from the earliest days of Christianity. Should we choose, we could go all the way back in the Hebrew Scriptures to find names like Abraham and Moses, Ruth and Isaiah. Always there have been those who have served the God whose kindness and compassion have endured forever.

Today we understand as well the value of those heroes of love and fidelity whose names may be lost but whose service to God and humanity remains as a light in centuries of love and good works. Listen, if you will, to words that speak of such goodness and call us to emulate people we know on this universal day of celebration. Create your own litany of those you call “saint” and consider how you may sit in their company.

1. (RV 7:2-4, 9-14): Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”…”These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”
2. (PS 24) Who can ascend the mountain of the Lord? or who may stand in his holy place? One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain. They shall receive a blessing from the Lord…
3. (1 JN 3:1-3) Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.
4. (MT 11:28) Alleluia! Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
5. (MT 5: 1-12A) Blessed are…Rejoice and be glad for your reward will be great in heaven.

The Nativity of Mary

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Celtic Benediction, fidelity, Jesus, John Philip Newell, Mary Mother of God, seed, souls, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, womb

Today, with no historical basis but with the approbation of the Church and of Christians around the world, we celebrate the birth of Mary, the mother of Jesus, the courageous young woman who brought Jesus into the world. On this day we pray especially for pregnant women and those who are unable to carry a child. We pray additionally in thanks for Mary, faithful mother and model of fidelity to God

John Philip Newell offers a prayer on this day when the earth is turning to autumn and new hope may be planted as a seed in our souls. Can you feel it?

I have tasted the fruit of the earth, O God. I have seen the autumn trees hang heavily with heaven’s gifts. I have known people pregnant with your spirit of generosity. Let these be guides to me this day. And may Mary who knew her womb filled with your goodness teach me the wisdom that is born amidst pain. May I know that deeper than any fallowness in me is the seed planted in the womb of my soul. May I know that greater than any barrenness in the world is the harvest to be justly shared. (Celtic Benediction, p. 29)

Short and Sweet

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, doxology, fidelity, glorify, hymn, kindness, praise, psalm 117, spiritual practice, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s lectionary offers us the shortest of psalms for response to the first reading. Ancient Songs Sung Anew gives a good idea for a spiritual practice using this text, saying that since it is one of the most universal in its meaning, “it could rightly be said by almost any person from any nation on earth.” Here’s the psalm, the challenge and the rest of the commentary.

Praise the Lord, all you nations; glorify God all you peoples! For steadfast is God’s kindness for us, and the fidelity of the Lord endures forever. (PS 117:1-2)

If you can, put this short Psalm to some music of your own making. Sing it to yourself till you have memorized it, and use it for a number of days as you pray for the nations of the world. Notice, though, that it is a prayer addressed to people rather than to God.

If you were to write your own short “doxology” (hymn of praise) what would you add or leave out? What should the people of the earth come to know about God which you yourself have personally experienced? (Ancient Songs Sung Anew, p. 297)

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Just Man

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Father, feast day, fidelity, interiority, Jesus, just man, Luke, Matthew, obedience, silence, Sisters of St. Joseph, St. Joseph, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I was in my car and on the road at 6:17 this morning, traveling to participate in the 6:45 liturgical celebration of St. Joseph’s feast day with my friends, Florence and Anne. Rarely would I be up and out that early but it is Florence’s 60th anniversary in the Sisters of St. Joseph and she has been friend, sister and mentor to me for 47 years now, so the early call was certainly worth the trip. (The raspberry scones and coffee that followed were an added treat as well!)

When there is conversation about St. Joseph, the introductory sentence most often goes something like this: “We don’t know much about Joseph, except that he was a just man, the husband of Mary and (foster) father of Jesus.” I was thinking about this during the liturgy this morning as Father Charles elaborated a bit about Joseph’s character as a devoted husband and father.

The deep feeling of love and respect for Joseph, not only of Sisters of St. Joseph but people the world over, speaks to me of the power and value of communal reflection. Stories of Joseph, prayers said to him, and reports of “favors” granted because of faith in his intercession with God have been a part of Christian tradition since the beginning. What I have learned and loved most about this man from it all is the clear sense of his silence. Joseph spoke no word that is related in Scripture but the stories told about him – his fidelity to Mary and Jesus, his obedience to the messages that allowed him to keep them safe, and his trust in God permeate the early chapters of Matthew and Luke, convincing me of his deep listening and contemplation.

In this world of noise and hurry we would do well to pause and be grateful for such a model of interiority, respect and care. May today include that moment and a blessing for Sisters of St. Joseph everywhere!

 

 

 

 

 

Found In Translation

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debts, fidelity, forgive, hallowed, love, Luke, Matthew, Peace, praying, Sermon on the Mount, spiritual path, The Lord's Prayer, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trespasses

The gospel in today’s lectionary is probably the most commonly known prayer in Christianity: The Lord’s Prayer, also known as The Our Father. The text is found in two of the four canonical gospels, Matthew (6:9-13) and Luke (11:2-4). Most of us know it as it comes from Matthew’s version, appearing in the middle of the Sermon on the Mount. Reading Luke this morning made me think that his version might have been easier to learn for children who had trouble memorizing prayers; it’s very succinct and yet seems to cover all the requisite items for our living. It comes in Luke’s gospel as the response of Jesus when he himself was praying and one of his disciples asked him to teach them to pray. Luke reports him telling them: “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed (holy) be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” Period – the end.

On second thought, although the words may be easier to learn than those of Matthew, there is a tiny word that changes things for those trying to practice what they pray. In Matthew we hear: “Forgive us our debts (trespasses) as we forgive…” Does it mean: “to the extent that (or in the way that) we forgive others?” Luke seems to think that our forgiveness of others is a foregone conclusion – something already done – by using the word “for” meaning “because” in that same sentence.

As I get mired in these semantics, I remember that translation is not an exact science and everything I’m writing could be challenged by scholars of Aramaic and Greek and Latin… My point is only and always to delve into what can bring us closer to God on our spiritual path and what can motivate us to treat others as Christ would have us love them. So let us say our prayers and get about the day’s work in peace and the promise of fidelity, to the best of our ability today.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s the Cost?

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Elimelech, fidelity, Hebrew Scriptures, Matthew, Naomi, Orpah, relationship, Ruth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is one of those times when inspiration is very easy to come by, just from about five minutes with the Scripture texts from the daily lectionary. See if you find the story from the Hebrew Scriptures consonant with the Christian gospel. To me it’s a “no brainer” with a most important shared theme.

First we have the story of a time of famine when Elimelech and his wife Naomi moved with their two sons from Bethlehem of Judah to the plateau of Moab. Fast forward ten years and learn that Elimelech and his two sons have died. Naomi is left with two Moabite daughters-in-law, Orpah and Ruth, (sound familiar?) when she learns that the famine is over in her native land and she decides to go home. Custom would allow her daughters-in-law to stay in their homeland and possibly marry again. When Naomi makes ready to return to Judah the Scriptures say that Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her. When Naomi protests, urging Ruth to stay with her own people in her own land, we have the famous response of Ruth who says: Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you! For wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people and your God, my God. And so it was recorded in the Book of Ruth.

Today’s gospel is similarly familiar. When Jesus is asked (MT 22:34-40) which commandment in the Law is the greatest he responds with what we know (and Jesus had learned in his youth) as “the Great Commandment.” You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.

So it seems that today is a good day to reflect on the seamlessness of the two statements of Jesus, comprising our most essential work in life. How well am I loving God as I love my neighbor and do I see love of neighbor as constitutive of my love for God? Ruth is an icon of fidelity to family – even an inherited family – and it seems that her love of her mother-in-law encompasses all the relationships that Naomi has held in her heart during her sojourn in Moab, including her willingness to embrace Naomi’s deepest spiritual beliefs. Am I willing to let go of my needs and wants and maybe even some cherished practices in service to relationship? Will I allow myself to be changed by love – even to a deeper relationship with God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Derby

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accomplishment, care, connection, dreams, fidelity, Good Shepherd, humans and animals, joy, Kentucky Derby, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thrill of victory

This may sound a bit crass to some who expect a reflection on the Good Shepherd today, but I just read an article about yesterday’s annual Kentucky Derby and made a connection that I want to share. It’s not about sheep, obviously, but rather horses and the fact that even really rich people can share dreams that start in childhood.

It seems that the two owners of the winner, Always Dreaming, grew up in Brooklyn and came to love horses and horse racing when their fathers brought them to the track as young boys. The one being interviewed, Anthony Bonomo, spoke of his neighborhood and the fact that after the race he had 267 messages on his phone from those folks he had known all his life. He said they would have to have a meal at a big restaurant in Brooklyn to share the joy of all those people whose support they cherish. He recounted – before the race – how their beloved horse would run the race, responding exactly as planned to the jockey’s body commands that were so familiar. It happened just as he predicted, even to the 2 1/2 lengths of the lead at the finish line.

This is the first time I have considered that, for owners, this race is not just about competition or money that most of them certainly don’t need. Rather, in addition to the thrill of the game, it is love for the animal itself that resounds in the joy of accomplishment. I understand in a very small way this “thrill of victory,” having gone on a few family outings to the race track and seeing the beautiful animals pass by on their way to the starting gate. I would choose the winner by looks and by their names rather than their statistical promise and rarely picked a winner so it was good that I was not rich enough to bet on them! Riding a horse in the hills around Taos, New Mexico, is also a great memory for me. There is no fear, even on narrow trails, as the horse knows where to walk and can read the simple cues from the rider’s knees and gentle pulls on the reigns.

This reverie may seem far-fetched – and I will stop here – but having experienced the connection between humans and their animals gives me a peaceful feeling that is always the result of such a relationship. Cats and dogs and even gerbils, I guess, can teach us a little of what Jesus was talking about today – about care given and fidelity received. And I, for one, am happy to have known that joy.

Of Gnats and Camels

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camels, fidelity, fully human, gnats, hypocrites, injustice, Jesus, judgment, love, Matthew, mercy, Pharisees, Philippians, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tithes

Sometimes in reading the gospels I am really convinced that Jesus was, as St. Paul tells us in the letter to the Philippians, fully human. On some occasions, Jesus gets really frustrated, as today in Matthew 23:23-26, when he takes the “Pharisees and hypocrites” to task for their behavior. No one could miss his point, but some of the images he uses to make those points are downright funny! I can just see him gathering steam as he goes into his condemnatory statement. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, he says. You pay tithes of mint and dill and cumin (really lightweight spices) and have neglected the weightier things of the law: judgment and mercy and fidelity. But these you should have done, without neglecting the others. Sounds like a reasonable speech so far, but wait for it…Here comes the punch line in case they missed the point: Blind guides, who strain out the gnat and swallow the camel!

Just picture trying to take that sentence literally. Imagine the exasperation that caused Jesus to resort to such an extreme. It was the injustice of the powerful toward the “lowly ones” that he saw, not unlike some of what is going on today in many quarters. Some days, when the weather is so muggy that bugs abound, I need to remind myself to keep my mouth closed when I’m outside so I don’t inadvertently swallow a bug. It’s more of a mentally unpleasant experience than a difficult physical one but always distasteful nevertheless. Multiply it maybe a thousand times or more to get the size of a camel and it’s easy to see the extent of injustice of which Jesus speaks. No one should be allowed that level of power over another, and Jesus knew it.

May we call out injustice wherever we see it in our society. May we also beware of swallowing camels in our dealings with each other and even try to avoid the gnats of everyday living as we choose to walk the path where the constant measure of things is love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Motherly Perseverance

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balance, children, Christian love, fidelity, mothers, St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Monica, the gift of life, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Anyone who knows even a little about St. Augustine of Hippo is also most likely aware of his mother, St. Monica. Her sainthood is due to her fidelity to Christian love, as she was given in marriage to a domineering husband, a cantankerous mother-in-law and her son, all of whom were the subjects of her constant prayer. Augustine, her eldest child, led a life of debauchery until he was nearly thirty years old. At first, she would not allow Augustine to eat or sleep in the family home but after a vision in which she was told that he would return to the faith, Monica stayed close to him – even following him to Rome and to Milan in his attempts to escape her surveillance. If one can speak of “success” in such matters, Monica certainly achieved it. Augustine became a bishop and one of the most noted theologians of the early Church.

Mothers shepherd their children to adulthood in various ways great and small – worrying, praising and correcting, giving advice (welcomed or not), and, perhaps for many, praying constantly for them and placing them in God’s hands as they, themselves, prepare to leave the earth. Some of us are lucky enough to have been graced with mothers who knew the balance of all the above behaviors. Other mothers need to be forgiven for holding their children too tightly or not close enough. On this feast of St. Monica, let us give thanks for the greatest gift our mothers have given to us: the gift of life, opening to all that it can mean for our growth each day.

An Unlikely Pair

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bring your own gifts, coat of many colors, feast day, fidelity, Jesus, martyr, Paul, Peter, Pope Francis, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Word of God

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Today is the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, clearly the most well-known and important figures of the early days of Christianity. They prove the truth of the adage, “Variety is the spice of life” however. As we recall, Peter was chosen by Jesus as the leader of his motley band of followers. He was the only one that had an answer when Jesus asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Good answer: “You are the Christ, Son of God,” put him at the head of the class, but his missteps were many along the way. One commentary suggests that he could have used a public relations director. He said and did lots of things along the way that directly contradicted previous statements and actions, e.g. the opposite of the above-mentioned proclamation when he said “I do not know the man,” in fear during the trial of Jesus. But Jesus never lost faith in Peter; he chose and supported him because he loved him and was faithful to that love and in the end, Peter grew into his best self, giving everything including his life in the manner of Christ.

Paul was also transformed by the love of Christ. Unlike Peter, however, Paul never met Jesus in the flesh but came to know him “in a flash of light” and was forever changed. Also unlike Peter, once Paul had been converted to Christ, he never wavered; he was tireless in his preaching and traveled the known world as a missionary to the growing communities of those who were coming to believe in this new “Word of God.” Christ clearly loved Paul too, making a way for him in all trials during his ministry until Paul himself declared, “I have run the race; I have kept the faith…” and he too was martyred for the cause of Christ.

I read a quote this morning from a general audience of Pope Francis that speaks to me about these two great men. It said in part, “the Church is like a great orchestra in which there is great variety. We are not all the same, and we do not have to be all the same. We are all different, varied, and each of us brings our own special qualities. This is the beauty of the Church: everyone brings their own gifts which God has given for the sake of enriching others.”

All of this says to me that fidelity is like a coat of many colors fitting us how and when we are ready. God is totally in love with each of us and all of us and waits for us to grow into the person we already are in God’s eyes. Peter came to know that, Paul knew that, just as Pope Francis knows it and asks us to consider it as well. This is my prayer for today.