Isaiah’s Punch

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abstinence, fasting, homeless, hunger, Isaiah, Lent, oppressed, poor, response, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

In a contest of people who “tell it like it is,” the Prophet Isaiah would always (it seems to me) win hands down! The words “fast and abstinence” had great meaning when I was a child who always knew that there were rules about eating during Lent. We understood that our two smaller meals – usually breakfast and lunch – could not equal, or at least not be larger when put together, than our main meal and we worked hard at making sure of that. And there was also the question of dessert…when to have it and when to pass it up. This was serious business and whether we knew Isaiah or not, we knew that God meant business.

I doubt we ever heard the scathing criticism in Chapter 58 of Isaiah’s prophecy that we read today. He speaks for God in his estimation of the people’s fasting, saying: Lo, on your fast day you carry out your own pursuits and drive all your laborers. Yes, your fast ends in quarreling and fighting, striking with wicked claw. …Is this the manner of fasting I wish? Had we been truly awake when we heard the next part, we might have wondered if God was speaking to us or if it was some mean taskmaster! But listen and see if you can find yourself in this kind of attitude and action. Did we ever wonder whether the practice of controlling our eating had anything to do with our consciousness during the rest the rest of our day?

This, rather, is the fasting that I wish: releasing those bound unjustly, untying the thongs of the yoke; setting free the oppressed, breaking every yoke; sharing your bread with the hungry, sheltering the oppressed and the homeless, clothing the naked when you see them, and not turning your back on your own…

Things seem much more dire now when there are so many hungry and poor people in our midst, more homeless and oppressed people…What do we do for them? Do we notice? How do we help? How is it that our light can shine in response to such great need? All God asks is our best. What is that for you?

All Kinds of Food

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COVID19, generosity, hunger, Jesus, John, love of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Some of those reading these blog posts will likely be familiar with my fondness for today’s gospel from John, chapter 21. I’ve often called it “breakfast on the beach,” a catchy title, I think, that today means more than usual to me. When it shows up in the lectionary readings I’m always quick to highlight the humanity of Jesus, shown by his willingness to do a very simple, loving service to his friends, i.e. cooking them breakfast. I rarely focus on the earlier part of the gospel where the apostles are tired and likely disappointed because they have worked all night and caught no fish. With a quick directive from Jesus to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, Jesus saves them from their fatigue and probably significant hunger while at the same time re-igniting their trust that he is really — physically –present to them. It is, as we learn later in the chapter, about more than just the food.

We have been virtually quarantined in our house now for about a month. A few trips to our village post office with mask and gloves and a plastic window between me and the postal worker, as well as a couple of bank deposits from the drive-up window, have been the totality of my outings and more than any of my housemates. We take turns more now planning and cooking our meals as we are all home all the time.

It was clear at the beginning of this week that food supplies were becoming scarce in our house. Rather than anxiety-producing, that meant we needed to make and call in a list to Sister Paula’s sister, Joan, a widow who lives alone now and spends her days serving others wherever she sees a need. In the days before COVID-19, I would sometimes stop at Joanie’s house to drop off or pick up something for Paula. Inevitably, I would see Joan in someone’s driveway returning the neighbor’s trash barrels to their storage place after the morning trash pick-up. It is not her only neighborly service. Whether or not she knows the name or anything else about the person she sees in need of help, she never passes up a chance to be God’s envoy.

We are now fully stocked again for a week or two and in addition to the food we have received the love of God in the generosity of a cheery, willing woman we call “sister” to us and to all those who cross her path.

Feeding the Hungry

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Ephesians, food pantry, hunger, John, loaves and fishes, soup kitchen, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

For some time now, the Sisters of St. Joseph, Albany Province have had as a province goal to see food as a human right and to work toward the elimination of hunger in our country and elsewhere in every way possible. Although it seems an insurmountable achievement, we work toward it as we can. Some of us write letters to our government representatives or call when legislation like the Farm Bill comes up for a vote. Some work in a soup kitchen or food pantry and at most of our province gatherings we are asked to bring a non-perishable food item in support of those volunteers and our goal. Some would call us foolish for thinking we could really achieve much progress toward realization of such a societal change as the number of children and adults who go hungry each night is astronomical (and shameful in a country such as ours). Yet we “soldier on” hoping that our voices will be heard and our attempts will change the consciousness of others in our midst.

Today’s gospel from John (6: 1-15) tells the familiar story of the feeding of the five thousand. That miracle happened, we are told, because of a boy who had five barley loaves and two fish who cooperated because Jesus wanted everyone to be fed. In the letter to the Ephesians, also part of today’s readings, we hear the exhortation to “live in a manner worthy of the call you have received…bearing with one another through love…striving to preserve the unity of the Spirit…”

With reflection on – and living out of – those two Scripture passages, how can we fail?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long, Winding Roads

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companions, Cynthia Bourgeault, deep meaning, differences, heart knowing, hunger, St. Barnabas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, understanding, wisdom, Wisdom School

My thoughts right now are many. Rules for writing teach the importance of a strong thesis sentence (or paragraph, depending on the length of the entry) – something that will catch the attention of readers and give them reason to continue reading. During the time it took to unpack my computer and get settled to write I have had at least three possibilities of where to start that might actually take me (and hopefully some of you) somewhere worth the trip. Perhaps I should “cut to the chase” and begin at the desired conclusion which will, I hope, have something to do with diversity not necessarily being dangerous to unity. But, no. Allow me to meander for a moment…

• Today is the feast of St. Barnabas, seen as one of the most important “second generation” disciples who worked tirelessly for the spread of the gospel with St. Paul. Unfortunately, a difference of opinion on the way to proceed with their mission caused a serious split between them over the place in their company of John Mark, cousin to Barnabas and author of earliest canonical gospel. Eventually reconciled, this trio gives credence to the truth that even the best of friends can have differences – sometimes serious and painful ones.
• Each time I travel to Stonington, Maine I am glad to be a companion instead of the driver, at least for the last part of the trip. No road wider than two lanes gets us there and it seems that Route 15 disappears and re-emerges at will! It’s always good to follow the instructions of a GPS in order to get there or – perhaps even more important – to find the way home.
• In last week’s Wisdom School, Cynthia Bourgeault broached the topic of our “wisdom lineage” and linked it skillfully and profoundly with the history of Christianity. For me there was a recognition in that linkage of the responsibility to cherish and maintain our place in that long line of wisdom seekers. There were almost 100 participants in our group, some of whom I have known for a dozen years, some more recently but most only because we share in this community that exists because of our common search for a meaningful spiritual life. This link is deep and heartfelt.

So, here’s my conclusion. Regardless of distance or life situations, those who come to know a hunger for a way to deep meaning will find one another. It may take a long time on a twisting, turning path or just a short stint after a direct highway. It may mean digging deep in “heart knowing” to let go of preconceived notions about personalities and seeming divergences of understanding. We may come home from these blessed events wondering how we will ever live up to the consistent fidelity to the practices that form the container for the gift that is given every time we gather. All those things aside, the privilege of sharing time and space with such fine people is inestimable and can only be expressed in continuous gratitude.

May you find such companions in your life. (Clue: you must stay awake to know  them when they walk by!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sheep

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care, Christ the King, Ezekiel, Good Shepherd, homelessness, humanity, hunger, illness, justice, love, Matthew, Psalm 23, sheep, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I just spent about a half hour reading on the internet about sheep. I never got past the basic information about things like their color (some are very dark brown while most are white), life expectancy (10 – 12 years), amazing peripheral vision (270-320 degrees) which allows them to see behind them, two sets of teeth, excellent hearing and scent glands in front of their eyes and between their toes!!

As I read of their history and the places where they are found (mostly now in Australia, New Zealand, south and central South America and the British Isles) and of their habits, I realized how little I know of these members of the animal kingdom. Much of what I know is from shopping for sweaters, from a few movies about sheep farmers and – of course – from Scripture.

Today, the “Solemnity of Christ the King” offers Scripture texts that use sheep as a metaphor to speak of the kind of king we envision as the “Lord of Heaven and Earth.” The gospel (MT 25) describes a king who rules not with an iron hand but one who “separates the sheep from the goats” at the end of time with the law of love. The measure of this kind of justice is care for the neighbor: feeding, clothing, sheltering and visiting the sick and imprisoned. The surprise is the revelation that when we think our love of neighbor is just simple human charity and do it naturally, God sees it as “superhuman,” a godly act. Or maybe there is no difference…

Of the most universally recognized Scripture passages, those that describe God in the role of shepherd – today in Ezekiel 34 and Psalm 23 – are most familiar. Thus, it was not Jesus that first conjectured God’s action in this way; it had been part of the tradition for centuries before his time. Throughout all the tumult of the history of the “chosen people” (among whom we now count ourselves) the thread of God as shepherd has been the model for ruler and servant as well. And we, as God’s flock, can be assured that we will be cared for as those in the charge of a “good” shepherd are. Whether we stay close in the sheepfold or wander off, we can be sure we will always be under the eye of the One who comes searching for us until we are found.

Why, then, would we not care for one another as we ourselves are always cared for? “God is God and we are not,” we might answer. “There is so much hunger and homelessness and illness in the world; how can we solve it all?” “You aren’t the only sheep in the flock. Stay with the flock and just do your part,” I hear God saying to us. “Follow my lead and don’t feel like you have to do it all. Just do your part, and leave the rest to me.” Put that way, it might just be a question of exercising our humanity after all…

 

 

 

 

 

Ancient Yet Ever New

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commandment, hunger, John, love, Peace, searching, St. Augustine, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thirst, touched

All the readings are familiar today. That sometimes makes it more difficult for me to find a new “spin” that will be worthy of attention. I think it’s fair to say that one of the most recognizable utterances of Jesus is today’s gospel verse: I give you a new commandment: love one another as I have loved you. (JN 13:34) As is often the case, however, it was one word that caught my eye, the word new. People have been hearing or reading and preaching about that line for centuries; some of us have known it since early childhood. I thought this morning that perhaps we come to know it daily in a different way according to the people and experiences that bump up against our own as we proceed along our spiritual path. One of the best examples of this truth for me is from St. Augustine, whose passionate words on this topic never get old.

Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you! You were within me, but I was outside, and it was there that I searched for you. In my unloveliness I plunged into the lovely things which you created. You were with me, but I was not with you. Created things kept me from you; yet if they had not been in you they would not have been at all. You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness. You flashed, you shone, and you dispelled my blindness. You breathed your fragrance on me; I drew in breath and now I pant for you. I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more. You touched me and now I burn for your peace. (The Confessions of St. Augustine)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Food, Eating, Hunger

Tags

fasting, food as a human right, gratitude, healthy, hunger, miracle, modern medicine, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Today I suspect my thoughts will frequently turn to hunger. The Sisters of St. Joseph, Albany Province, have been focusing on “food as a human right” for some time, being mindful of those who have little or no food and working at both systemic and local solutions to this problem. In my life there is never a problem in finding food; if I don’t have it, I have the means to purchase it – both availability in nearby grocery stores and the money and transportation needed to access it. I am preparing, however, for a routine colonoscopy tomorrow – not a pleasant thought, but an experience I have come to value for several reasons that allows me to put a positive spin on what lies ahead in the next 36 hours – a retreat of sorts…My reflections are listed below:

1. I live in a place where “the miracle of modern medicine” is a constant and access to healthcare a privilege I enjoy.
2. I consider it a responsibility to keep my body as healthy as I can and welcome the opportunity to eliminate toxins and be reminded to begin again to eat in a healthy and mindful way.
3. I live with Sisters whose support includes the willingness to see to my needs (and I to theirs), particularly tomorrow for one of them in accompanying me and spending several hours in the hospital with me.
4. The reality of physical hunger which I may only assuage with liquids or (happily!) jello leads me to reflect and join in solidarity with those who regularly experience a  lack of food.
5. Moving to the spiritual level of interpretation, I will need to trust my physician (as I have for many years and still do) to perform the procedure flawlessly and my body to cooperate.
6. Lastly, I hope to remain conscious of and pray for all those who hunger for a better life both physically and spiritually, for belonging, for love and/or for a sense of God in their lives. All of this, then, becomes an opportunity for gratitude.

No More Hunger

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action, crops, farming, food, food as a human right, food pantry, hunger, Isaiah, Matthew, Sisters of St. Joseph, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thought into action

I’ve often said that in my next life I would like to be a farmer. My declaration is non-specific regarding the kind of farming I would hope to do. I am partial to cows but my heart soars at the sight of wheat fields, corn and other vegetables growing.  I haven’t really weighed the costs, physically and otherwise, that farming takes but I do admire farmers for their dedication and their goal of providing food for the hungry. I am often saddened these days upon hearing of the failure of crops and/or of farmers declaring bankruptcy. It is a hard life, to be sure, but one I value for its closeness to the earth, the rhythmic nature of the work and the products of the labor for the world.

This morning the prophet Isaiah predicts a time when everyone will have a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines with God as the host of this meal. (IS 25:6) The gospel text contains Matthew’s telling of the multiplication of the loaves (MT 15:29-37). In conjunction with many other organizations, my province of the Sisters of St. Joseph has taken as a justice focus “food as a human right.” It is our hope and our goal that someday soon there will be a more just distribution of what experts say is the sufficiency of food that already exists in the world so that no one will die of hunger or lack the necessary nutrition to live a full life.

As I ponder the way I can ready my heart today to receive the fullness of Christ’s presence at Christmas I may need to visit a grocery store and then a food pantry as I think of the hungry people in my own town. I might look for the catalog I have received from Heifer International where I’m able to buy chickens or a share of a cow for a family who will then have milk and eggs and then might pass on the next generations of those animals to others who have nothing. I might strike up a conversation with someone today on the topic of hunger and the necessity of action and come home to write a letter to my government officials to support legislation of the same. We are all in this world together. We need to find ways to feed each other. Today is a good day to move thought into action.

Passion for God

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breathing in God, called, Confessions, deafness, God is within me, hunger, passion for God, Peace, St. Augustine, St. Monica, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, thirst

Having considered yesterday the life of St. Monica, today we meet her son. “Whether acclaimed or condemned in our day for what can be seen as his ‘fundamental rigorism’ against the decadence of his own time” (http://www.americancatholic.org), Augustine’s passion for God cannot be denied. In perhaps his most famous writing, Confessions, his address to God is unsurpassed in depth of feeling and worthy of our reflection today.

Late have I loved You, O Beauty so ancient yet ever new! Late have I loved You. You were within me and I outside…You were with me but I was not with You. Things held me far from You – things which, if they were not in You, were not at all…You called and shouted and burst my deafness. You breathed and I drew in breath – now I pant for You. I tasted and now I hunger and thirst for You. You touched me and now I burn for Your peace.

Something to Eat

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body and soul, Elisha, Ephesians, food pantries, hunger, John, Kings, loaves and fishes, miracle, need, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, unity

The gospel reading for this morning is John’s account of the feeding of the 5,000 with 5 loaves and 2 fishes (JN 6:1-15). The question of the disciples is “Where can we buy enough food for them to eat?” A similar question is posed in the first reading (2 KINGS 4:42-44 – less familiar to me) when Elisha directs a man who has given him 20 barley loaves to “give it to the people to eat.” When his servant asks, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” The prophet repeats, “Give it to the people to eat. For thus says the Lord, ‘They shall eat and there shall be some left over…'” Indeed, in both cases there was a great deal left over – one miracle foreshadowing the other, greater one.

It is, I think, the coming together of need and the willingness to satisfy it that creates the miracle in these readings. I think about the prevailing sense that there is enough food in the world today so that no one need go hungry if we will take steps toward a just distribution of what exists. Lately I’ve been seeing reports of more and more efforts in this regard – some in direct service, e.g. food collections at various events as “entry fees” and church collections for their food pantries, and some that address systems like the Clinton Foundation Global Initiative Food Systems Track that “supports strategies  to meet the rapidly growing global demand for food while also protecting the natural resources critical to the future of food production and human well-being.” (www.clintonfoundation.org)

St. Paul is reminding the Ephesians this morning of our call to live a life of unity in the spirit of “the one God who is over all and through all and in all.” (EPH 4:1-6). In this way, the feeding of the people takes on a deeper meaning leading to the “human well-being” spoken of above. So when we bring our canned goods to church or give a donation to an organization like Bread for the World, let us pray for that unity and be willing to participate in the feeding of both the body and soul of our brothers and sisters throughout our neighborhood and the world.