Open Hearts

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cheerful giver, giving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s Scripture passages are full of practical advice, some delivered in well known adages. One that we ought to take to heart as essential in these days of closures leading to unemployment is a snippet from St. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians. It says:

Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly and whoever sows bountifully will reap bountifully. Each must do as already determined, without sadness or compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver. (2 COR 9: 6-7)

Because of working from home, I find there’s less money spent on gasoline. By not participating in “normal” activities, even like shopping or going to the occasional movie, most of us are not spending as much money on anything except food. That calls us in a more direct way to sharing with the poor. Even in situations where our regular bills come due and we might not have more to spend, we still need to turn our attention to those for whom this time of COVID-19 is most devastating to see what we can do to alleviate their distress.

For me, the italicized clause in the text is the most important and a way to grow into our best selves. Grumpy givers might almost as well stay home…although there’s always the chance that the act of giving will be transformative in itself. It isn’t just a question of money; it’s about so much more: awareness, generosity of self and openheartedness, of course! I say to nay-sayers: “Try it! You’ll like it!”

Sowing Seeds

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attitude, cheerful giver, Corinthians, generous spirit, giving, sower, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

It’s always interesting to see how the lectionary readings develop themes and contrast examples to modern times. Take for example today’s lesson about being a “cheerful giver.” (God loves a cheerful giver, we are told.) We may think about our capital campaigns, other fundraising activities, or the passing of the plate in church services. Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (9: 6-11) speaks of supplying seed to the sower and bread to the poor…A simpler time, same message. The important thing – also the same – is the attitude with which we give.

When Paul says that those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly, he isn’t talking about seed any more, thus the reference to being cheerful in the giving. I am reminded by that of a poetic quote on a card that I received a very long time ago. It said, in part, ” Give it away, give it all away. Give life away. All…all is gift.” I see the gospel sower walking through a field made ready for seed. Smelling the newly turned soil and feeling the breeze and the warmth of the sun, I join that one with a full complement of seeds in my shoulder bag, reaching in and flinging the seed to the winds, enjoying the freedom of knowing that the harvest to come will help so many more people than myself – most especially the poor in our midst.

It’s that attitude that creates a generous spirit, I think. Letting go becomes the motivation. Bounty in God is the result.

Giving and Getting

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Acts of the Apostles, balance, Ephesians, getting, give, giving, receive, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning, Paul was preparing to leave Ephesus, never to return after being with and teaching the people for three years. He is speaking to the presbyters into whose hands he is entrusting the whole people. (Acts 20: 28-38) It is their responsibility now to hold the Ephesians steady in the truth that he has imparted to them about the teachings of Jesus. And what is his last word to them? A simple sentence that may sound familiar to you: It is more blessed to give than to receive.

If I tried, perhaps I could spend the day with that adage in mind and at the end of the day, looking back, I might be able to see the balance of giving and getting in my actions, words and thoughts. A formidable task perhaps but one well worth the effort, it seems.

The Divine Exchange

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consciousness, Cynthia Bourgeault, divine exchange, encounter, giving, great exchange, Guerillas of Grace, receiving, soul to soul, Ted Loder, Thank You For Each Moment, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Sometimes it’s difficult to express the depth of meaning in seemingly ordinary events that make up the flow of our lives. Reflecting on the past few days, I could describe two such happenings in sentences like the following:

1. “We had an extraordinary group of girls (ages 10 to 17) and their teachers here at the Spiritual Center this week. They came from Florida to have an experience of life different from their norm and were going from here to New York City before returning home.”
2. “Our Wisdom Practices Circle met yesterday and the sharing was extremely rich.”

What’s missing in both of these examples is the energy of the sharing that can only come in the encounter – soul to soul, we might say. It happened on Wednesday evening when the girls performed part of their dance and poetry recital from the school year. Moreover, their enthusiasm overflowed in every moment of their visit; their joy and interest in everything they saw or heard and shared was intense.

Although it was quieter in our Practices group, the depth was palpable yesterday as we pondered a text entitled “Thank You for Each Moment” written by Ted Loder in his book Guerillas of Grace. It was a powerful poem as was our reflection following the reading and the silences that punctuated the sharing.

As I sit here pondering the effect of these experiences, I am reminded of the teaching of Cynthia Bourgeault on the divine exchange and grateful to understand the experience “from the inside” more today than ever before. In a summary of her work on this concept Cynthia writes the following:

…In the great exchange of giving and receiving, we are fed by and feed other realms outside our earthly reality. We come to see the relationship among the visible and invisible realms not as a ladder of hierarchical steps to climb and escape lower states of being, but as an inter-abiding round dance of self-giving love. As we allow ourselves to participate in the freely flowing exchange of Divine creativity, love is made manifest. Moreover, we humans, as the embodiment of consciousness, are responsible for making that Divine love manifest in this time/space realm. [We] learn how, in following Jesus’ way, we release our essential Self as we help fulfill the deep yearning of the Divine. (The Contemplative Society at http://www.contemplative.org)

My thanks to the “Diamond Mind” girls and their teachers as to my companions in the quest for wisdom for the gift of their presence and example to me.

 

 

 

 

 

An Answer from Francis

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change, console, environment, eternal life, faith, giving, joy, love, nature, pardon, Peace, St. Francis of Assisi, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understand

Yesterday afternoon I was in a gathering where we were discussing change using a number of quotes on the subject. It was fascinating to hear the different reactions to the various quotes depending on our interpretations of how the words were used in the sentences, or how a little word like “all” could challenge someone who is uncomfortable with such determinism. It was a great, stretching conversation that pointed up the need to really listen to the voices of others who differed according to culture and life experiences. etc. when interpreting what was being said.

It’s only 7:00AM and there are all sorts of vehicles – mostly big trucks – outside on our road with a large team working hard to get the road paved before the weather turns cold. They have already done days of preparation for this final process; they’re not just patching or putting down a thin coat this time. This will be an “extreme makeover” that is very welcome! But today is also the feast of St. Francis, the “little man of Assisi,” who was the champion of all things natural, i.e. those found in nature. Thinking of him makes me long for dirt roads and good walking shoes (or strong bare feet!) rather than all sorts of manufactured materials that are not good for the environment.

So while I think of our road I’m also thrown back to the vision of flooding in Houston, a city that has so much concrete in roads, building sites and parking lots that the rain had nowhere to go so that at least some of it might sink into the earth. I’m certainly not blaming the infrastructure for the 50+ inches of rain sitting in and flowing through the neighborhoods, but it was at least a mention on the news as a factor adding to the destruction and might be something to consider as cities continue to grow.

In an interview on NBC news following the devastating attack in Las Vegas this weekend, a man who was shot three times in his leg spoke of his experience. He said that two women, seeing his inability to stand, pulled him to a place of cover and then commanded two men to move him further into a truck where 7 others were already waiting to be taken to a hospital. He said, “I didn’t know any of those people. No one was looking at anyone in any particular way, judging anything. Everyone just kept helping, doing what they could for anyone they encountered.” We are our best in the worst situations, it seems.

What does all this mean? How do the thoughts fit together? Maybe they don’t really but I’m willing to entertain the possibility that there is a thread here, albeit a thin one. Or maybe it is as elemental as the opening line of the Prayer of St. Francis which says, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” On second thought, maybe that whole prayer is perfect for today as we try to move forward from violence and appreciate what is natural in our world. For those who don’t know it by heart let me print it here as our offering for peace and healing. Please join with me in praying it aloud.

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred, let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; where there is sadness, joy. O Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console; to be understood as to understand; to be loved as to love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, and it is in dying that we are born to eternal life. Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Attachment

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free, give yourself totally, giving, Jesus, Matthew, possessions, struggle, surrender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, vow of poverty, willingness

I sit this morning in the bedroom I call “mine” surrounded by more books than many people read in their entire lives. I have CDs that hold favorite music, this computer and a personal phone that accompanies me everywhere and various other “things” which seem more or less necessary to me. I think this morning of my early days in religious life when we learned to speak of “our” possessions rather than “mine” – basically so that nothing would possess us and to let us know that the vow of poverty meant we held everything in common.

In this morning’s gospel, Jesus challenges a young man who wants a deeper way of life than just following the commandments. “Go,” Jesus says, “sell all that you have and give to the poor. Then come and follow me.” (MT 19:16-22) What happens next is not a happy ending. “When the young man heard this statement, he went away sad, for he had many possessions.” The fact of his sadness is what makes me sad. He doesn’t go away in a huff, grumbling about Jesus asking too much or saying Jesus is unfair or crazy. He simply recognizes that he is not free to give himself totally.

I doubt I will ever be called to give up everything it seems I “own” – including the intangibles like relationships and convictions – so that all I have left is God, but this gospel always calls me to assess my willingness to do so if that day should come. I think I understand the struggle of the “rich young man” and pray each day for the gifts of willingness and surrender. Giving things away is also a good practice so that freedom to be available for whatever God asks is the first and only non-negotiable I bring to each day.

The Widow’s Mite

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blog, donation, giving, gratitude, Mark, milestone, poverty, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, uplifting, widow

I always thought the catch phrase/title for this text (found today in MK 12:38-44 – the Widow’s Mite) was strange somehow. This morning I realized the reason. The word mite not only means a small amount but is also a small insect – a fact which I knew but never put together – thus, my sense of distaste that has nothing to do with the poor widow! She is, au contraire, someone to be admired. As most people know, she is  the woman who gave not of her surplus wealth but from her poverty. This got me thinking about giving and how often we can find ways to give that have little to do with money. I recalled the man who came to a study day on Thomas Merton that we did earlier in the year for which he could not pay. His pastor had sent him and asked us for a scholarship. The man was grateful that we obliged but told me he wanted to do something to contribute so he had made a large pot of soup to complement the box lunches we had ordered. Not only was it a lovely gesture but many people commented on the wonderful soup. My sense is that it had something to do with the love that went into it in the making.

Today I will ask myself, what can I give of myself that will be uplifting to someone else? If I am attentive to what is happening around me, I might just see something that no one else would notice but which would bring a bright light to someone’s day.

PS: As I posted this entry just now, I saw that it is the 500th post of this blog. That seemed ironic in the context of what I have written above and made me think that, perhaps, this is my “widow’s mite” – a gift that I can give that flows from my love of God and my desire for all seekers to be gifted by God. I truly believe it has little to do with me and much more to do with what God wishes people to hear. So my gratitude is to people (amazingly!) all over the world who have somehow found our website and heard one or many messages that might be considered as words of love from a generous God!

A Cheerful Giver

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catholic, cheerful giver, generous, giving, laughter, lightness of life, pay homage, piety, sanctity, singing, Sirach, smiling, St. Philip Neri, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning’s first reading from the Book of Sirach (35:1-12) sounds like an ad for “sacrificial giving” in church. It is talking about paying homage to the Lord but goes beyond tithing, which ought to be accomplished in a spirit of joy. Expansion of the theme of actual donation is also implied in such language as: in generous spirit…be not sparing of freewill gifts and Give to the Most High as he has given to you, generously, according to your means. Upon reading this I was thrown back to a song that we used to sing during our novitiate days that began: God loves a cheerful giver; give it all you’ve got! (great emphasis on the second part – sort of like a football fight song, gestures and all). Certainly, we were not singing about monetary contributions to the Church but rather the attitude with which we lived our lives.

Serendipitously, today is the feast of St. Philip Neri who lived in the 1500’s, a tumultuous time for the Christian Church. A summary comment from the website http://www.americancatholic.org offers the following:

Many people feel that such an attractive and jocular personality as Philip’s cannot be combined with intense spirituality. Philip’s life melts our rigid, narrow views of piety. His approach to sanctity was truly catholic, all-embracing and accompanied by a good laugh. Philip always wanted his followers to become not less but more human through their striving for holiness.

So, if they’re not already part of your spiritual backpack, it sounds like a good idea today to add smiling, singing and considering those you meet as friends just waiting to be found, with whom the lightness of life can dispel some of the heaviness of the world.