Respite

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Bethany, Celtic Treasure, companionship, healing, Holy Week, inner quiet, J. Philip Newell, Jerusalem, journey, Passion, respite, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

John’s gospel for today (12:1-11) always signals for me a pause in the frenetic events of Holy Week. Yesterday there was the uproarious crowd as Jesus entered Jerusalem and beginning on Thursday the intensity of the Passion commences, not to subside until the next waiting period at the tomb. It feels this morning like watching the ocean waves in slow motion – building, crashing, subsiding and then building again to a crisis point – but in between, a space of silence and repose.

Jesus is in Bethany now, likely the most welcoming place he knows, where he is cared for with good food, soothing massage and the companionship of dear friends Lazarus, Martha and Mary. In my mind’s eye, I always imagine his mother at the table as well. How could she not be with him now?

It seems to me that we ought to spend these “in-between” days in inner quiet and attention – in whatever ways we are able, given that our “normal life” of work and family responsibilities likely continues. As a prayer to guide us, I offer J. Philip Newell’s words.

We stumble on the journey, O God. We lose heart along the way. We forget your promises and blame one another. Refresh us with the springs of your spirit in our souls and open our senses to your guiding presence that we may be part of the world’s healing this day, that we may be part of the world’s healing. (Celtic Treasure, p. 68)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palm Sunday of the Lord’s Passion

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betrayal, denial, Holy Week, Jerusalem, Jesus, Judas, Palm Sunday, Peter, renewal, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

There is so much to read today in the lectionary texts, so many scenarios and complicating emotions! It’s only Sunday and we have the whole Holy Week to deal with, yet the entire drama is placed before us today, perhaps so that we are able to hold it all as the week goes on  – even while knowing already both the tragic and the glorious pieces of the outcome.

I always try to be in the moment as we travel through the days of Holy Week but no matter how deeply we place ourselves in the scenes as they are recounted – the joyful entry of Jesus into Jerusalem to the acclaim of the crowd, the poignant last supper with his closest disciples and then the emotional flip to the denial of Jesus by Peter and betrayal by Judas, the trial, crucifixion and burial – it is impossible for us to feel the total impact of it all. We know the end of the story even as it begins.

Perhaps the best we can do is reflect on experiences in our lives that are analogous to, although maybe not as stark as, what we are facing this week. Consider the celebrative meals – anniversaries or holidays, perhaps – that you have shared with loved ones, especially if someone is moving away or in danger of death. Reflect on a low moment when you could have spoken up with a truth that would not be popular yet you remained silent or went along with the crowd. Remember recent stories of gun violence when innocent people were killed for no reason. If you are able, take the feelings from these scenarios (or others) and the seek out Jesus for a quiet moment of conversation about what he is experiencing on each of these days.

There is great opportunity for deepening spiritually during this week. May we all come to Easter renewed!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mary’s Birthday

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birthday, caregivers, celebration, devotion, gratitude, immaculate conception, Jerusalem, model, mothers, nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, Nazareth, Protoevangelium of James, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I have lots of people whose birthdays I remember and I celebrate them at least in my mind if not with a card, a call, or (these days) with an e-mail. Today Eastern and Western Catholic Churches celebrate the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary – a birthday I always mark with a smile and/or a prayer of gratitude for her role in our life. This morning I wondered who came up with this date as probably no birth certificate exists to prove her arrival and most of what we know from that time is less than an exact science. What I found was that the first written mention of Mary’s birth was in the apocryphal text called the Protoevangelium of James, a document probably in its final written form in the early second century. It speaks of her parents, Joachim – a wealthy member of one of the tribes of Israel – and Anna, but is not clear about where or when she was born. Some accounts speak of Nazareth as her birthplace and some say it was a house near the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem. The date for commemoration of her birth was logically set, but not until the sixth century, as nine months after the celebratory date of the Immaculate Conception.

Regardless of historical accuracy, the Christian Churches have always celebrated Mary in many ways during the year with great devotion. She is particularly dear to mothers around the world who look to her even on the ordinary days as a model for living – in good times and times of suffering. Perhaps that is a good reminder for us today to give thanks for our own mothers and/or those who have “mothered” us with their care and love – all those who have encouraged our birthing into spiritual maturity. I will think on those women today and mark this day joyfully in celebration of them.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Palm Sunday

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bad news, betrayal, crucifixion, death, faithfulness, Good News, Holy Week, Isaiah, Jerusalem, Luke, Palm Sunday, Philippians, praise, psalm 22, surrender, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, torture, trust

We have often heard the adage: “Good news, bad news – who knows!” The caution in this statement is about holding out until the end, when the final conclusion allows an informed assessment of whether the situation under consideration is, in fact, good or bad news.

Palm Sunday is the epitome of a good news/bad news story. We begin with Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem to jubilant chants of “Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!” (LK 19: 28-40) and end with the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus as Luke tells the story (LK 22:14-23:56). Admittedly there is some telescoping of the time frame as we know the incidents happened over several days rather than all at once, but it is nevertheless a stunning example of the vicissitudes of crowd mentality.

Reflecting on this Sunday’s readings one realizes that the need for the faithful to wait for “the rest of the story” is implicit at each step. Isaiah’s words (IS 50: 4-7) paint a fearful picture of what the servant suffers in trying to speak God’s word to the weary: beatings, plucking of his beard, buffets and spitting. The message to us, however, is in the last verse where the prophet witnesses to God’s faithfulness in all the violence he has endured. The Lord God is my help, he says, therefore I am not disgraced. I have set my face like flint, knowing I shall not be put to shame.

The refrain of the responsorial psalm (PS 22): My God, my God, why have you abandoned me could be interpreted as despair of the crucified Jesus. Not so! Jesus, who likely knew all 150 psalms by heart, knew the ending. Like Isaiah, he trusted that whatever happened, God was faithful and worthy of praise: I will proclaim your name to my brethren, the psalmist sings; in the midst of the assembly I will praise him. (vs.23)

Even as we focus on reciprocal fidelity as the linchpin of relationship between God and Jesus, we know that the suffering endured in the Paschal Mystery was monumental. From betrayal of friends to physical torture and death, Luke’s gospel reminds us that Jesus trusted God and poured himself out in love for our sake. It would behoove us to spend time with this text seeing anew each compassionate encounter on his path from the Last Supper to the cross.

Only the Letter to the Philippians speaks from a post-resurrection perspective today (PHIL 2:6-11). It is the willingness of Jesus to surrender everything that leads to his exaltation as Lord. But let us not be too hasty to reach the finish line. Let us rather take every step of this Holy Week with Jesus, trusting as he did that the Lord God is our help.

Step Aside

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100 Maxims of Perfection, Acts of the Apostles, credit, Jerusalem, Jesus, John, maxims, ministry, Paul, praise, take up the task, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

One of the tasks of our novitiate days was to learn the 100 Maxims of Perfection that were part of the early documents of our founders in the 17th century. I don’t recall how many I actually committed to memory back then but only a few pop up these days in certain circumstances, most frequently the one that says, “Always interpret everything in the most favorable sense.” It doesn’t hurt that it is one of the shortest, but it is also quite helpful in those moments of teetering on the edge of negativity.

In this morning’s lectionary readings, Jesus and Paul deliver a message in practically the same words. Paul is preparing to leave, not only the town of Ephesus but the entire province of Asia, to go to Jerusalem where he is not certain of his fate. (ACTS 20:17-27) He speaks to the people about his service to the gospel, performed “in all humility…bearing witness to what I received from the Lord Jesus…not shrinking from telling them what was for their benefit” regardless of the danger to himself. In the gospel that is part of the “farewell discourse” (JN 17:1-11), Jesus is speaking to God rather than to the people, but with a similar witness. He summarizes for God (and maybe himself) his fidelity to the mission saying, “I glorified you on earth by accomplishing the work you gave me to do…I revealed your name to those whom you gave me…they accepted [the words] and…they have believed that you sent me.” Jesus was also on his way to Jerusalem, accepting the fate that he was to meet there.

In reading these two accounts I had the strong feeling that there were implications of a further meaning. It was as if they were each saying, “I’ve done what I was sent to do in the best way that I could. Now it’s up to you who are reading these words to take up the task.” It reminded me of our maxim: “Advance good works to near their completion and then, when it can be done without effort, step aside and let others take the credit.” It’s that last clause that is the difficult part. While it’s hard for some of us to give over a task or a ministry to someone else if we have put our heart and soul into it, even more difficult, I think, is allowing others to get the credit. We all want to be recognized – not a bad thing. The question to be asked in situations like that, perhaps, is “Am I doing this because it is something important to be done, something I care about? Or am I doing it so people (and God) will praise me for doing it?” As I continue to grow in willingness to what awaits me each day, I’m grateful for those maxims that still live in me, calling me always to more love in the manner of Jesus and St. Paul.

Miracles Abound

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Acts of the Apostles, Easter, Gaza, Isaiah, Jerusalem, miracles, Philip, spirit, Spirit of God, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The book of the Acts of the Apostles, which is read in the Easter season, is filled with the enthusiastic ministry of those who either had experienced Jesus or had caught the Spirit from those who had been with him. This morning there is a fantastical story – one of many in the book – which mimics that of the disciples on the road to Emmaus after the Crucifixion of Jesus when he appeared to them and explained the Scriptures and then disappeared when “they recognized him in the breaking of the bread.” In this story (ACTS 8:26-40), the apostle Philip is traveling in the desert on the road from Jerusalem to Gaza when an angel of the Lord tells him to catch up to a chariot in which rides a court official from Ethiopia. The official is reading the book of Isaiah about the “suffering servant.” Philip does what he is told, stops the chariot and asks the man if he understands what he’s reading. His answer is a good question: “How can I unless someone instructs me,” whereupon Philip opens the meaning of the Scriptures to him, referencing Jesus and what happened to him. The rest of the story includes the Ethiopian asking for baptism. Philip fulfills the request since they happen to be passing some water, and Philip then is “snatched away” by the angel of the Lord, leaving the man to tell the story just as he did back in Jerusalem.

Jesus had promised his disciples that they would be able to do as he had done – “and more besides” – and we have only to suspend our rational, judgmental, 21st century thinking to get in touch with the power of faith that fairly jumps from every page of the book of Acts. Today I am reminded of the second side of the coin necessary for the miracles written about to be effected. Not only is the power of the Spirit present in the “instrument” of God, but the one who is to be healed or converted must believe that it is possible. That’s why I like the question of the Ethiopian this morning. He needs to understand what is being offered to him and then to accept the offer because his heart has been touched.

I am in California this morning, getting ready to attend a four-day “think tank” with students of “the wisdom way” and a group of wealthy people who are committed to responsible use of their resources. They have called us to the Camaldoli Benedictine Monastery at Big Sur to reflect on the intersection of wisdom and money and how that might impact their decisions about projects to undertake because their “heart-knowing” will be engaged. Surely we will need to deepen our mutual understanding of what we each bring to the table in order to move toward this heart-knowledge for our mutual benefit. I am confident that the Spirit of God is living and active in our day, just as it was in the first century CE and I am hopeful that in the silence that wraps around and informs the monastery we will hear God’s message to us.

One thing about the monastery that will be helpful for the conference but not for communication is that there is no internet or cell service there. So there will be no blogging here after today until Monday morning. Perhaps a good substitute is to read sections of The Acts of the Apostles each day!

A Quiet Moment

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fortress, Jerusalem, Jesus, psalm 71, refuge, rock, strength, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, wondrous deeds

This morning I imagine Jesus sitting outside in the quiet of the morning at the house of his friends reciting the Psalm for the day (71) that he has known from his youth. The familiar words surely give him courage and comfort as he moves closer to what lies ahead for him in Jerusalem. I read it and join myself to him in the prayer.

In you, O Lord, I take refuge; let me never be put to shame. In your justice rescue me, and deliver me; incline your ear to me, and save me. Be my rock of refuge, a stronghold to give me safety, for you are my rock and my fortress. O my God, rescue me from the hand of the wicked. For you are my hope, O Lord; my trust, O God, from my youth. On you I depend from birth; from my mother’s womb you are my strength. My mouth shall declare your justice, day by day your salvation. O God, you have taught me from my youth, and till the present I proclaim your wondrous deeds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To the Ends of the Earth

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cardinals, communication, continents, Galilee, geography, global, Jerusalem, Jesus, Luke, Nazareth, Pope Francis, spread of Christianity, St. John Neumann, Syria, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, zeal

As some people my age, I have come “kicking and screaming” into the world of technology. Those who know me, however, are aware of my enthusiasm for the GeoMaster APP which has enabled me to learn the names and locations of places everywhere around the world. I now feel connected to people and events as never before because I know where they live and see where it’s all happening. In an organic way it has expanded the reach of my prayer as well.

This morning I found an incredible synchronicity as I began to prepare this reflection. It began (rather whimsically actually) with a line from Luke’s gospel that says Jesus left Nazareth and went to live at Capernaum by the sea. I had a fleeting image of him sitting in a beach chair watching the waves…but was brought back to my task as I continued to read chapter 4 which gave me a totally different picture. He went all around Galilee, it said, teaching and preaching the Kingdom and curing every disease and illness of the people. His fame spread to all of Syria and great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea and beyond the Jordan followed him. On a map these countries of the Middle East are among the smallest,  but we need to remember that Jesus traveled on foot and only occasionally by boat – small boats.

Next I read about the canonized saint of the Catholic Church whose feast is today. St. John Neumann, born in 1811 was an immigrant to the United States of America when he was 25 years old, coming from what today is known as the Czech Republic. He was a priest of the Redemptorist Order and, his biography states, did “missionary work” first in New York, then in Maryland, Virginia and Ohio, where he was popular with the German community. Named Bishop of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania he became a champion of education, drawing many religious communities of nuns and priests to teach in the schools and creating a system of diocesan schools that remains strong today. He died in 1860 and proclaimed a saint in 1977.

When I went to http://www.americancatholic.org to read about John Neumann, there was a headline on the website about Pope Francis having named a new group of cardinals. There are 15 eligible electors (those who will name the next pope) and 5 honorifics (cardinals who are too old to participate in a conclave but were named because of their long and outstanding service to the Church). The 15 come from 14 nations on every continent including Cape Verde, Tonga and Myanmar. There are 3 from Asia, 3 from Latin America, 2 from Africa and 2 from Oceania. This is an astounding shift and I am proud to say that I can locate all of those places on a world map!

What does all this mean for me today? It just points up the growth and spread of Christianity from a small band of followers of Jesus in a tiny territory over 2,000 years ago to over a billion believers scattered all over planet earth. The miracle of this all boils down to zeal and communication – gifts, talents and willingness exercised by good people not unlike you and me whose faith has continued the story and helped new chapters to be written. Today these include renewed relationships among Christians across the denominational spectrum as well as new connections with those of other religious and philosophical traditions around the world. I am grateful for that today and can only conjecture…where will it go from here?