Awakening

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Acts of the Apostles, awaken, awakening, heal, love, Macrina Wiederkehr, open the door, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

As we seem to crawl toward the beginning of spring on this cloudy morning where snow flurries and a temperature of 25 degrees (F.) persists, I open Macrina Wiederkehr’s text, Seven Sacred Pauses, for some encouragement. She never disappoints. Here is what she tells me for today (beginning with my favorite verse from the Acts of the Apostles!):

O Morning Song of Love, O you in whom we live and move and have our being! We have been asleep too long. Heal the unseeing part of our lives. Lead us to our awakening places. Awaken us to the new light. Open the doors of our hearts, the windows of our souls, the walls of our minds. Awaken us to hope. Awaken us to joy. Awaken us to love. Awaken us to new insights. Make our hearts ready to receive the brightness of your presence. To you we give praise.(p. 61)

Hiatus

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betrayals, blessings, Celtic Treasures, encounters, faithful, heal, J. Philip Newell, open our hearts, speak, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, the whole of life

I am going to be away from home this week and am unsure now of internet availability as well as scheduled events. I will return home next Sunday hoping to resume this daily practice on Monday. I leave with hope of a peaceful week for us all and a prayer of J. Philip Newell to accompany our days.

You speak to us in all things, O God, in the rising of the sun and its setting, in dreams of the night and the encounters of day. Let us know you in the whole of life, in both the blessings and the betrayals of our lives. Heal our hurts and open our hearts that as families and nations we may be faithful to one another. (Celtic Treasures, p. 50)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Your Sins Are Forgiven

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courage, faith, forgive sins, forgiveness, heal, healing, humility, Jesus, Matthew, paralyzed, recognition, sinner, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The gospel holds a question that I have never before stopped to consider in the way I heard it today. As I reflected, I noticed even a lot more in the short passage that led me to a deeper place. In MT 9:1-8, Jesus has just returned to “his own town” where he encounters a paralyzed man, brought to him on a stretcher by people who obviously have faith in his power to heal. There is no conversation; Jesus just saw their faith and immediately said, “Courage, child, your sins are forgiven.”

I probably wouldn’t have thought much about the encounter in this very familiar passage but a second look at the entire event gave me much more to ponder. When the scribes who were in hearing distance thought to themselves that Jesus was speaking in a way that could be called blasphemy (speaking sacrilegiously about God or sacred things), Jesus knew what they were thinking and asked them, “Why do you harbor evil thoughts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Rise and walk?’ My guess is they were quite surprised that he was reading their thoughts.

My original intent in writing about this passage was to consider the question just raised by Jesus. I wondered what the scribes would have answered if Jesus had given them a chance. He did not do that, however, but indicated that his purpose was to show his “authority on earth to forgive sins” rather than his ability to heal the body. Most likely because they were not at a level of development to understand what that meant, he then told the man to “rise, pick up your stretcher and go home.” The conclusion of the passage illustrates a lack of understanding on the part of the whole crowd of who Jesus really was, noting that “when the crowds saw this they were struck with awe and glorified God who had given such authority to men.”

So what is my point? In a sense it is the thought I started with: a consideration of internal and external healing. We are living in a time when the consciousness of the connection of body, mind and spirit is evident in the literature of mainstream culture as well as in spiritual circles. Meditation is touted as essential to health and wholeness as is physical exercise. Healing of memories is as important as dealing with present-day conflicts. The soul and the body are both in need of healing. Jesus was talking about the former while observers were waiting for the cure of the latter.

My wondering has now come full circle. My question to myself was: If I were the paralyzed person to whom Jesus said, “Your sins are forgiven,” would I be shocked and resistant at being judged a sinner (and thereby, probably not cured) or would I recognize the need for forgiveness and let that be enough, whether or not my body was freed from paralysis? It’s a question of humility and recognition, it seems, as well as a trust in God’s unconditional love that takes more than a quick look inside to answer honestly.

 

 

 

 

 

Giving In

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cold, grateful, heal, health, illness, rest, surrender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I’m feeling like the weather today: gray and rainy, not much air moving…I was grateful when my doctor told me last Friday that what she found was not serious, just “a little virus” that would, unfortunately, probably hang on for awhile. My scratchy throat is gone and now distress is virtually “all in my head” but it amazes me how debilitating such a little thing can be. I think of my good friend and my sister-in-law, both suffering from pneumonia this month, and of all the people who are chronically ill, who daily have to struggle not to give in to the lassitude that has been my constant companion now for almost a week. I remember in my early days of teaching school when, during a class observation by the principal (my first), my eyes were running so fiercely from a head cold that I could hardly see and my fear was that Father Owens would think I was nervous. There was no luxury of staying home then; work was work, after all.

Today I am grateful for the privilege of rest, the ability to postpone appointments for the benefit of my health (and probably the health of others I could infect!), and the knowledge that my body will heal itself in the near future. All I need to do is cooperate. This hiatus is a good lesson in surrender for me and, for probably the first time in my life, I do not feel a need to resist! I guess I’ll go for my second cup of coffee now, and then…maybe a nap…

Sabbath

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Catholic Church, heal, keep holy the Sabbath day, Luke, Pharisee, Sabbath, servile work, teachable moment, the law of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unnecessary

When I was a child, one of the laws of the Catholic Church was: “No unnecessary servile work on Sunday.” That meant that the laundry, ironing and cleaning house had to be done on Saturday in order that we might turn our minds to thoughts of God and church attendance on Sunday. We never forgot the adjective unnecessary, however, because it was clear that sometimes emergencies arose and something needful superseded the law. When I entered the convent, silence was the highest law of the night. We didn’t talk much anyway, but at 9:00 PM strict silence began and at 10:00 it became “Grand Silence.” The only cause for breaking the silence after that was a dire need of someone for help – serious illness or accident in the night. Even then, as novices, it took courage to break the silence, so well was “the law” drilled into us and so fervently did we wish to be obedient to God.

This morning’s gospel tells of Jesus having dinner at the house of a leading Pharisee (often a “teachable moment” for the others in attendance). It couldn’t have been a comfortable meal for him because, as Luke says (LK 14:1-6), “the people there were observing him carefully.” It was the Sabbath and the Mosaic Law was clear about Sabbath practice. There was a man there who suffered from “dropsy”  (edema, probably from heart disease) and Jesus, knowing the crowd was just waiting for a chance to catch him breaking the law, gave them an opportunity to accuse him before he did anything. He asked them (in some translations the lawyers among them), “Is it lawful to cure on the Sabbath or not?” When no one spoke up he healed the man and dismissed him. Knowing that the story of his actions would probably reach the whole town by morning, he asked them a further question. “Who among you,” he said, “if your son or ox falls into a cistern, would not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” The gospel says that “they were unable to answer his question.”

There are lots of applications of this gospel. The point is, of course, that the law of God, which in its most basic form is all about love, is the highest law and everything else is subordinate to that. Extreme behavior in either direction of total disregard or rigid following does not work for those who live in “God’s house.” We see in our country today both extremes when it comes to Sabbath practice. The question for me today is about how I remember God – not only one day a week, to be sure. It is good, however, to set aside one day of the week (not necessarily the traditional Sabbath, especially if we work for our livelihood on that day) or to create another way to focus our attention on God and the things of God, to reflect on our relationship and give thanks for the blessings and the challenges of our lives that bring God clearly into focus for us. How do you spend your Sabbath? How do I?

Adulation

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accomplishments, Acts of the Apostles, agency, Barnabas, compliments, heal, humility, instruments of God, Paul, self-esteem, talents, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, witness

It’s difficult for some of us to take compliments. In “the old days” we were taught to “be humble” which meant to be self-effacing, never taking credit when we did a good act, looked pretty or handsome or performed well in a recital. Parents were often afraid their children would get “a swelled head” and think themselves better than others. While the sentiment was noble, lots of damage was – and maybe still is – done to self esteem as these children grew into adulthood. Today we understand that it’s good to acknowledge the accomplishments of others; humility is really another word for truth. The caution is for us to realize that many of our accomplishments come from God-given talents as well as our own effort and that we walk through life with the help and guidance of others – which I guess means we still occasionally need that person who will keep us from getting a swelled head. Keeping our ego in check is a lifelong balancing act.

In this morning’s reading from the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 14:5-18), Paul and Barnabas are making their way from town to town, sometimes being persecuted for their preaching but sometimes just the opposite, as in Lystra, where they are able to heal a lame man who had never walked. As a result the people began to speak of them as gods and their temple priest brought oxen and garlands to offer in sacrifice to them. Their response was swift and strong. They tore their garments and said to the crowds, “Men, why are you doing this? We are of the same nature as you, human beings! We proclaim to you good news that you should turn from idols to the living God…In bestowing his goodness, he did not leave himself without witnesses…” They understood agency (see previous post) and knew that they were instruments of God’s healing. They knew and exercised the gift that had been given to them but did not forget the source of the gift. No unbridled ego there, just faithful witnesses.

May it be so with us.

Our Tender God

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companion, God, grief, heal, humanity, instrument of praise, majesty, Psalm 147, raise up, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wisdom

This morning I can do no better than to simply copy out the verses of the responsorial psalm (147:1-7) which lifts my spirit as it reminds me of the God whose constancy has companioned humanity throughout the ages. This same God remains to raise us up and heal us all our lives.

Hallelujah! My whole being longs to be a song in which you, my God, are always the refrain. So let this canticle of praise, which is my life, bring honor to your name. The music for this song began in ages past when you, O God, drew back the exiles from afar, when you rebuilt your ancient city called Jerusalem. And now it sings the healing of our shattered hearts, the binding up of all the wounds our world has caused.

The chorus of the stars each named by you sings out and adds its voice. It sings the majesty of God and wisdom’s boundless name. For God steps down and raises up in tenderness all those who live in grief; and just as surely God subverts all wickedness and casts the wicked in defeat upon the ground. So add your voice and sing this song, become an instrument of praise!

Who’s the Prodigal?

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heal, joy, kind, Lord, merciful, mercy, parable, pardon, prodigal son, Psalm 103, responsibility, selfishness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today’s gospel is one of the most familiar of the Christian Scriptures. Named the  parable of the Prodigal Son it has, over the past few decades, been the subject of much study and deeper interpretation. For instance, one of the more memorable moments for me on the subject was that in conversation about the older son a friend said, “All along the father was thinking that he stayed out of love, but in the end it seemed that his real, deep-down motivation was duty or obligation – which saddened and shocked the father when it became obvious.” That has given me a lot to think about from time to time. More recently I have heard the parable called “The Prodigal Father” and, after considerable confusion, I decided to look up the definition of “prodigal” to try to settle my mind and the interpretation. What I found was two basic definitions.

1. Wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, reckless, imprudent…

2. Generous, lavish, liberal, unstinting, unsparing…

I find it interesting that the two are closely related and that it is possible that the father’s prodigality with his sons was the basis for the younger son’s action with only a tip of the scales toward selfishness and a lack of a sense of responsibility – or youthful immaturity – that turned the whole thing bad. I think of that as I read Psalm 103 this morning. The refrain sings, “The Lord is kind and merciful” – something that must’ve spurred the son to return to such a father. Continuing the analogy, the verse holds out hope and describes what actually happened when the son came home. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He pardons all your iniquities and heals all your ills. He redeems your life from destruction, he crowns you with kindness and compassion. The son was ready to throw himself on his father’s good nature, aware that he would at least be treated with a measure of mercy. Clearly, the father’s joy at his return was unexpected. It would be a wonderful thing if we could remember that moment as well as the words of the psalm when we are asking God for forgiveness.

There is one more thing, however, that the psalm teaches and that I was alluding to when I mentioned youthful immaturity and a sense of responsibility.  There is an imperative that precedes the listing of the ways in which we are forgiven – something we must remember. We must be willing to recognize God’s goodness to us and not forget God’s faithfulness. God is always there to forgive our imprudent or reckless behavior but a “thank you” is always in order for the generous, lavish “welcome home” that we are given.