All Saints?

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canonization, darkness, God's children, heart of God, holy, John, Matthew, positive, psalm 24, Revelation, sainthood, saints, The Beatitudes, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I knew, of course, that yesterday was Halloween, i.e. “All Hallows’ Eve” but it’s still a bit of a shock this morning to wake up in November! Suddenly the trees are bare and the temperature outside is so low that one can hardly hold on any more to the season of autumn. It’s rather ironic that we celebrate many of our grandest holidays during the darkest time of the year. Perhaps it’s necessary that it be that way to keep us positive through the darkness. We begin today in Christianity with the feast of All Saints.

If we ask what constitutes “sainthood” we can expect many different answers. Dictionary definitions abound, some of which pose further questions like: Are Christians saints after they die or while they are still living? There is an answer to that for Roman Catholics and Eastern Orthodox Christians whose Churches “require certain procedures before people can be officially named saints; this procedure is called canonization.” But there are two notes on the internet that make me happiest.

1. A statement: Saint is the French word for “holy.”
2. A question: How does the Bible define a saint?

If we look at today’s lectionary texts, each of the readings gives us an image that might move one to deeper pondering on the above question. The vision in the Book of Revelation has shining images of “a great multitude, wearing white robes and carrying palm branches in their hands…those who have survived the time of great distress…” (Ch. 7). Psalm 24 speaks of the people “who long to see God’s face, those whose hands are sinless and whose hearts are clean, who desire not what is vain.” John’s first letter tells us that “we are God’s children now” and that when all is revealed “we shall be like God…” (1 JN 2).

I thought the choice of gospel passage for this holy day was brilliant when I read the chosen text: Matthew 5:1-12, known to us as The Beatitudes. Coming to embody the qualities of those who are blessed listed in this passage must surely qualify us as “sainted” or “holy.” Just to read them quickly won’t get us there. We truly need to allow them to penetrate the deepest cave of our hearts and then to shine out of us in love that is humble, merciful, peacemaking…reflecting the love of God.

So perhaps as we move into this new month we can make a new (or renewed) determination to be those saints that may not yet be formally recognized but who are already held as such in the heart of God.

 

 

 

 

Juxtaposition

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beatitudes, heart of God, justice, Matthew, mercy, obfuscation, reconciled, reconciliation, responsibility, right relationship, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unconditional love

Chapter 5 of Matthew’s gospel is so full of teaching that it provides a lifetime of material for reflection. The Beatitudes alone are enough! In today’s lectionary selection, however, there is a very important section on how we ought to treat those persons closest to us. (Jesus calls them our brothers, but we know he meant our sisters too.) It’s about the fact that we must be in right relationship with our neighbors before we approach God in our worship services. The very familiar text (vs. 20-26) tells us that if there is something separating us from another person we need to leave our gift at the altar to go and be reconciled. It’s that important. The interesting thing about this passage for me, however, is a simple twist in the way the recognition of our duty is expressed by Jesus. He doesn’t say, “If you recall that you have anything against your brother, go first and reconcile…” Instead, Jesus makes the job of reconciliation ours even though it is “if your brother has anything against you…”

It would seem unfair to say it is our responsibility to take the first step in such a case. It’s much easier to blame others for their misunderstanding of us or their unwillingness to come to us when we have nothing (maybe) against them. I think that Jesus is looking for two things from us here: 1. a willingness to look in a mirror to be sure that there is no obfuscation going on from our part and 2. a willingness to practice unconditional love in any situation – whether or not we share responsibility for the breach in relationship. Letting go of justice for mercy is a large-hearted step. Taking it goes a long way in moving toward the heart of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Moments

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Alan Cohen, blessing, daily interactions, Golden Moments, heart of God, hello, Jubilee, love, power, strangers, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tone, triumps

Still basking in the glow of last weekend’s beautiful golden jubilee celebration that I experienced with so many kind words and gestures, I was immediately interested in Alan Cohen’s daily reflection for this date because the title was actually “Golden Moments.” After a personal anecdote, he continued with what is surely a worthy way to look at life. (I especially like his concluding sentence.) See if you agree.

It is not through world-shaking triumphs that we build our life, but in the common daily interactions. The tone of our voice can win or lose a business deal, and a thoughtful hello can change a stranger’s attitude. We never really know how far a little blessing will go. Go beyond the norm of expected kindness by even a little bit, and you will become a miracle-worker.

Never underestimate the power of a kind word or act. Even if your gift does not seem to be received, your heart will soar. Love is always received in the heart of God, where we all live.

From Indifference to Mercy

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conversion of hearts, heart of God, Holy Year of Mercy, indifference, love for others, mercy, Pope Francis, Psalm 103, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

This morning Psalm 103 reminds me once again that Pope Francis has called this year “A Year of Mercy.” Perhaps by coincidence – but maybe not – I found the Pope’s New Year’s message last evening and was struck by a section entitled, “From Indifference to Mercy: the Conversion of Hearts.” Here’s a bit of what he said.

Mercy is the heart of God. It must also be the heart of the members of the one great family of his children: a heart which beats all the more strongly wherever human dignity – as a reflection of the face of God and his creatures – is in play. Jesus tells us that love for others – foreigners, the sick, prisoners, the homeless, even our enemies – is the yardstick by which God will judge our actions. Our eternal destiny depends on this.

We know too much of our world to be indifferent to those in need. When we pray, “Lord, have mercy,” we ought to hear ourselves asking and perhaps hear as well God saying back, “You too, you have mercy!” We can hardly avoid that call because we can no longer separate ourselves since the faces of those in need of our mercy rise up to meet us at every turn. As the psalmist might say today, we swim in mercy as in an endless sea (vs. 10), so great is God’s care for us. How can we fail to act in like manner?

 

Treasure

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books, heart of God, Jesus, Matthew, relationships, Sermon on the Mount, surrender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, there also will your heart be, treasure, Where your treasure is

The more I reflect on the words of Jesus, the more I realize how great a role the process of discernment must play in life. Each section – sometimes each line – of Matthew’s rendering of the Sermon on the Mount (Ch. 5-7) strikes a chord worthy of some consideration. Today there’s consideration of what constitutes treasure in our lives. As I look around my room it is clear that my most treasured possessions are books – not just words on a screen but actual, physical books that I can hold in my hand, feeling the texture of paper as I turn the pages, savoring the musty smell of the oldest of them…you get the picture. But then I think that more important treasure for me lies in relationships, beginning with family and community, multiplied with the hundredfold of friends and teachers, co-workers and guides that have carried me forward in life and led me to the greatest treasure of all: life in God.

If I’m honest I have to admit that sometimes I get sidetracked into “treasure” that seems to be gold but turns out to be dust. I think we all get hooked in that way, at least occasionally. The way of vigilance in avoiding that kind of temptation is simply offered in MT 6:21 where Jesus says, “Where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” So I ask myself today if I could let go of my books if necessary…and if I recognize that some relationships are forever but some are purposed for a particular time in life…and I look to my heart for surrender, reminding myself to always set my heart in the heart of God.

How Does It End?

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arrival, death of Jesus, ending, faith, giving up control, heart of God, hope, journey, resurrection, suffering, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust

I’m the kind of person who could never leave a story in the middle. It always amazed me that people could get up in the middle of a movie on television and say, “I’m going to bed” or – even more seriously – walk out of a movie theater when they have paid for what they’re leaving! I always wanted to know the way things would turn out. As I write this today I realize, however, that this is not as important to me as in the past. I wonder what that means. Am I more interested in the journey than in the arrival? Do I have more trust that everything will be resolved in situations? It’s such a new thought that I don’t have the answer but I have a suspicion that it has at least something to do with giving up control. When I think liturgically about the next few weeks, I realize that we already know “the rest of the story” of the sufferings and death of Jesus, i.e. the Resurrection. What must it have been like for the companions of Jesus? We only know a few of those stories and no matter what the struggles were almost all get resolved in the end when they see him again. Every year I ask myself where I would have been during all those events: hiding my identity as Peter did? helping to carrying the cross or stepping up to wipe the face of Jesus along the way? staying at the tomb with Mary Magdalene and “the other Mary”? It’s impossible to know the answer. Maybe a better question for today is this: how strong are my faith and hope in God as I face the events of my own life without knowing what will happen in the end? I now recognize it’s that ability to let go into the heart of God that will determine the answer.

What’s It Time For?

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death, Ecclesiastes, funeral, heart of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time, timeless

This morning’s first reading (ECCL 3:1-11) which tells us that there is a time for everything and then gives pairs of opposites as examples (“a time to be born and a time to die”) is used most frequently at funerals. We hear it or sing it or even read it ourselves at those often difficult or bittersweet moments and feel grief or comfort depending on the circumstances of the death. There is great wisdom in this reading, however, which is worth some deeper reflection. I once spent a whole week’s retreat trying to befriend time instead of grasping at it, feeling as if I never had enough to do what I thought was necessary or significant or rewarding. While I’m still often “short on time” I think I’ve learned the futility of attempts at control and see this reading as the best approach. Trusting that God “has made everything appropriate to its time” allows me to let go more often, to observe events and to focus rather on the truth that God has also “put the timeless into [our] hearts” so that every event, every thought, every prayer, every breath can – with conscious attention and intention – lead us beyond time, straight into the heart of God.