Life Choices

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Carthusian, contemplative life, direction in life, Galatians, Jesus, Luke, Martha, Mary, psalm 139, St. Bruno, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There are many choices today for reflection. They all spring from the day’s lectionary readings and speak of the active and/or contemplative life in God. Paul speaks of his conversion, the recognition of his role in proclaiming Christ to the Gentiles and his many interactions with followers of Christ that convinced them of his transformation from persecutor of Christians to a faithful follower of Christ. His entire life became a witness. (GAL 1:13-24)

Then follows my favorite psalm (139), proclaiming how wonderfully made we are – and have been “from our mother’s womb.” Sometimes it just takes some time to wake up to the reality and the privilege. Many things determine our capacity to flourish. Conditions of place, family, income: all the many outer elements of life – as well as opportunities for inner development – make us who we are. Nature and nurture should work together.

But there is more, as seen in the gospel featuring Mary and Martha today, a very familiar story of a visit from Jesus. (LK 10:38-42) Mary sits at the feet of Jesus, listening to him, while Martha scurries around doing the tasks of hospitality and complaining about Mary’s lack of help. These were sisters, likely living together but remembered through the centuries as indicative of very different personalities: one the active and the other the contemplative in life.

Today is also the feast of Saint Bruno, a man who was a famous teacher and appointed chancellor of the his archdiocese at age 45 – a very high position. Bruno, however, had a dream of living in solitude and prayer, a dream he eventually realized in his foundation of the Carthusian order of monks and nuns. These men and women lived in individual cells at a distance from one another. They met for two prayer periods each day and spent the rest of the time in solitude, eating together only on great feasts. After nine centuries, there are approximately 370 monks and 75 nuns in various places in the world, living in the same manner as the companions of Bruno. in the whole, wide world, by today’s standards, a very small number.

What motivates people to choose a direction in life? Some, it is clear, “fall” into a life’s work. Some people take a long time to choose – or never do. It seems to me that it takes attention of both body and spirit to discern a place in this world. What has been your motivating force in life? Who has influenced your choices? Are there dreams still awaiting fulfillment? Most importantly: where is God in your life?

Harmonic Convergence

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bless, center, counsel, Galatians, heart, intention, love, psalm 16, soul, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unifying

Today’s Scripture readings, if reflected upon, seem to fit in our present world of philosophical and psychological advisors who speak about the interaction and necessary integration of body, mind and spirit. The psalmist sets the stage by declaring: I bless the Lord who counsels me; even in the night my heart exhorts me…Therefore my heart is glad and my soul rejoices, my body, too, abides in confidence…(Ps. 16) Paul picks up the theme saying, “You were called for freedom, brothers and sisters. But do not use this freedom as an opportunity for the flesh; rather serve one another through love. For the whole law is fulfilled in one statement, namely, You shall love your neighbor as yourself. if you go on biting and devouring one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another.” (GAL 5:13-18)

Perhaps I’m stretching a point in my interpretation but it seems to me that putting the intention and the effort of making love at the center point of all our actions and dealings with one another does create harmony that manifests not only in our relationships but especially as a unifying, health-producing becoming in the three centers of our own body, mind and spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Father’s Day

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caring, Father, father's day, Galatians, gratitude, holy, humble, Jesus, love of God, Luke, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today is one of those days when I find it difficult to determine a topic for reflection, not because there is nothing in the Scripture or from another source that draws me. Rather, the dilemma is choosing from a number of possibilities. The gospel text has Jesus asking, “Who do you say I am?” (LK 9:18-24), St. Paul speaks eloquently about our unity with his famous declaration that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free person, male or female…” (GAL 3:26-29) and Psalm 69 fairly drips with longing, crying out to God, “For you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth parched, lifeless and without water…” I guess each of those citations speaks for itself, providing enough of a prompt for reflection without any need for commentary.

In that case, I will take the opportunity to say a word about Father’s Day. Now that I have cleared the way, however, I find it difficult to articulate anything of value because there is such diversity of relationship with fathers. So I decide to speak of my own experience and again words do not come easily. As with the Scriptures, there is too much to say about my father. I was incredibly blessed and proud to have been so loved in my life by such a bright, caring, humble, responsible, joyful, sincere, holy man. Oh yes, and there was that stubborn streak…One of the best gifts my father shared was his love of God. By example mostly, it was clear that everything in his life flowed from his faith and devotion. Actually, I could simply point to the day’s Scripture readings for a description of how God was in his life.

So here I am, back to the beginning with too much to say, so enough said! With a smile of remembrance as my companion I will spend the day in gratitude for my father and send a hope that the experience of fatherly love might touch each life sometime in some way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ripening Fruit

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faithfulness, fruits of the Holy Spirit, Galatians, generosity, gentleness, gifts of the Holy Spirit, joy, kindness, love, patience, Paul, Peace, self-control, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

When I was young I learned that in addition to the “Gifts of the Holy Spirit”, there were also other virtues to be developed by those on a spiritual path. These were called the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”. As I have aged, I have come to regard these “fruits” as akin to my growth, not achieved by focused hard work but rather as the result of maturation – like fruit on a tree that needs the attention of the sun and rain and good soil in order to flourish. I can see that attention to and practice of the behaviors inherent in these virtues cause the “fruit” to manifest.

Paul gives us the list this morning (GAL 5), calling me to check in on the ripening of each in my heart and to give attention to those that still need time to mature. They are the following: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.