Spring Cleaning

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actions, David, Ephesians, Jesse, leadership, light in the Lord, Samuel, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The choice of David as king of Israel (1 SM 16) was rather stunning and perhaps as difficult to understand in human terms by the populace of our time as we face a presidential election. We have been watching and listening to a large number of Democratic candidates during primary season and have looked for one thing most importantly: who can beat the incumbent so as to change things. In the Scriptures, the choice was made for the youngest of Jesse’s sons – someone who wasn’t even considered. They had to go to the fields where he was guarding the sheep to find him because none of the seven sons had been found suitable.

What was it that God (through Samuel) was looking for? Not appearance or lofty stature but rather the state of his heart. And how would we judge that in our day? Not by how much money he has (or how much s/he has raised to run a campaign) nor the promises made for the future. We must look deeper than the words and consider how the candidates’ actions and the way they live their lives is consistent with those words. That’s not easy in this huge country of ours. We need to do our best to follow what St. Paul said today to the Ephesians for our assessment of ourselves.

“Once you were darkness” he says, “but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” (EPH 5: 8-14)

Notice that I suggested that we are assessing ourselves here – not others – because if we cannot find truth and honesty and goodness in ourselves, how do we expect to recognize it in others? It will take a long time, I think, for this to become the way we find our leadership, but perhaps, as we live through this moment that is challenging our world so seriously, we will shed much of the darkness that has accrued around and within us. In so doing we might see new (or forgotten) light in ourselves and others and a new world order might emerge. Why not adopt that kind of “spring cleaning?”

As God Sees

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appearances, David, heart, Jesse, judging others, Samuel, tattoo, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I am remembering a time when my cousin’s daughter was dating a tattoo artist and relatives in my generation began to worry about her reputation as piercing and tattoos began to appear on her body. Never mind that she was bright and attending college while living with her grandparents to help them as they aged. Never mind her wonderful personality and winning smile, because tattooed ladies did not belong in our family! Now when “body art” is everywhere, my young cousin is moving toward the ripe old age of 40 and is recognized by everyone as the brilliant star that she has always been, if only others had taken the time to truly know her.

How often we judge by appearances! Today’s lesson from chapter 16 of the first book of Samuel has a great example of the danger of that stance. As Samuel was introduced to seven sons of Jesse from whom Saul’s successor was to be chosen, God kept saying, “Nope, not him!” until there were none left before him. (It sounds a little bit like a comedy routine if we imagine Samuel getting more and more agitated every time God rejects one of those presented to him.) When Samuel says to Jesse, “Don’t you have anyone else???” (Can’t you hear the exasperation?) Jesse had to wake up to the fact that it might be David, the youngest, the sheep herder, the dreamer that God had chosen. And so it was.

It’s a great story and an important lesson for us – not to judge a person by clothing or speech or degree of education or position in the work-a-day world…because not as humans see does God see, because people judge the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart. (1 SM 16:7) I will remember that today as I go about my various appointments and look for clues to the hearts beating all around me.

 

 

 

 

 

O Flower of Jesse’s Stem, Come!

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Christmas, come, Jesse, King David, life, metaphor, O Antiphons, prayer, psalm 139, root, steadfastness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Plants are amazing metaphors, I think, for the seasons of our lives. I have only two green plants in my bedroom now and although I smile at them and greet them as I come and go, I am sometimes rather inattentive. Happily, I know they are both always willing to forgive me. One is a Christmas cactus that is not a great indicator of the coming feast as it tends to flower at Thanksgiving – or sometimes whenever the inclination to burst forth gets hold of it. This year, however, it seems to have heard the Advent cry of “Come!” and, although with only one bud, is right on schedule to flower around – if not on – the actual feast of Christmas. I am always surprised at the budding and never mind whether or not it skips a year or comes unexpectedly because it is strong and requires very little care. Steadfastness is its gift to me.

Then there is my prayer plant, Maranta by name, that seems fragile and strong by turns. The reason for the designation as a prayer plant is simply because each night her leaves lift from whatever angle they sit at during the day and come together into a vertical image of prayer reaching to heaven. It is a small miracle each morning (if I awake early enough) to observe her faithful keeping of vigil, knowing that as I slept God was not forgotten. She has been through many seasons since she was given to me as a single leaf from the “mother plant.” Sometimes I have feared for her life but she has always rebounded from dry seasons or cold to flower again. At last count I had given gifts of her shoots to eight people and hope that her progeny will see many more generations. I count on her fidelity and example of how to navigate life.

Today the antiphon calling the Christ to come to us speaks of Jesse, father of the great King David, of whose line – 28 generations later – came Jesus. Although I cannot go back very far to name my ancestors, I know that in every cell I have been formed for this life I now lead. As the beautiful psalm 139 says, I know that God has “knit me in my mother’s womb” and made me for praise in this life. Let us all give thanks for what God has planted in us and ask to be faithful nurturers as we pray:

O Flower of Jesse’s Stem, sign of God’s love for all people, come! Take root in us and bring us to flower in our time!

 

 

 

 

 

Manifesting Light

Tags

being light, blind, darkness, David, Ephesians, Jesse, Jesus, John, light within, living in God, Paul, Samuel, shining presence, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The Scriptural texts for this morning tell good stories. I especially always like hearing how David became king. What a surprise for his family! When Samuel came to speak to Jesse and asked to meet his sons, (1 Sm 16) nobody even gave a thought to David, the youngest, who was probably happy living in obscurity, spending his days with the sheep of his father’s fields. And this time when Jesus cured a blind person it wasn’t because the man was crying out asking Jesus for healing, as in the similar gospel stories, but rather just because of a question from the disciples about why the man was blind in the first place. (Jn 9). What got me thinking, however, was the reading in the middle (Eph 5:8-14) that begins with a startling teaser if we don’t read it quickly. At least in my translation we might think it reads: Brothers and sisters, you were once IN darkness but now you are IN light in the Lord…but there are no prepositions preceding the words darkness and light! What Paul seems to be saying is that our identity was darkness and living in God changes our very existence into light.

Think about David. What was it that made Samuel know David was the one? He must have seen something in Jesse’s youngest son that did not exist in any of David’s brothers. Maybe he was able to become light because of spending so much time in the natural world, watching things grow and observing the behavior of the animals – probably without much human interaction. Somehow, light had found a home in him, perhaps because of this simpler existence. After Jesus cured the blind man, his life got much more complicated. Maybe Jesus (and whoever asked the question about sin) saw something of light in him already that made him noticeable and that got strengthened enough for him to withstand all the repetitious questions about whose fault the blindness had been and what that said about who Jesus was.

If we think about it, we might conclude that in some ways it’s easier to be darkness. There’s less responsibility in the darkness where most of us sleep for the majority of the time. If we become light, people notice us. We shine so we have to be sure what we’re manifesting to the world is good, motivating others to justice and love and peace, for example.

It took a long time for David to find his way to manage the light that was in him, making good choices and not taking advantage of the love God clearly had for him. When he learned those lessons, however, how his brilliance shone for all to see! And the man born blind? My guess is that, after all the hubbub about his cure died down, he was blown away by all the color and beauty in the world that made him a very happy, shining presence.

Perhaps the moral of this story is that the possibility of “being light” is in all of us. The question we probably need to answer is how willing we are to stand in the light so others can see and benefit from our presence.

 

 

 

 

 

Strong Roots

Tags

blessing, Jesse, Jesus, King David, lift your mind, Magnificat, Maranta, Messiah, miraculous, O Antiphons, prayer plant, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, worship

There are days when, if I stop to think about it, the capacities of the internet for understanding what I’m looking for are quite astounding. I had little hope of finding the answer to the rightful name of my “prayer plant” when I went searching this morning, but there it was, almost immediately – the name with a picture so I would know it was the one I was looking for: Maranta leuconeura. There was even a short video to illustrate the miraculous nature and reason why this plant got its “nickname.” Every night while I’m sleeping my friend, Maranta, is deep in prayer. All her leaves are raised to a vertical position, just as some of us raise our arms to heaven in worship, singing. In the morning, if I rise before dawn, I catch her in her concluding prayer and am reminded that it is now my turn to lift my mind and heart to God during the day as she lowers her arms. (A caution: The video never captures the fullness of her stretch as I do.)

It was so surprising when I found the description of my plant; I had never searched before, thinking the name I had was just made up by someone who didn’t know the real name and coined what seemed appropriate because of function. I learned how extraordinary my Maranta was when I read that these plants are rarely grown inside! She has been with me in my bedroom for at least a decade, a gift of one leaf on a stem in a tiny earthen pot for my birthday one year. I have thought several times that her days were numbered but I learned today that this is a seasonal happening. The best thing of all (next to the consistent prayer life that I have been taught) is her willingness to share herself. I have separated and given away shoots over the years, gifts of prayer for birthdays and other special events to at least seven people, with little or no distress to the main plant.

The miraculous nature of this plant is certainly worthy of a place in this blog but why today? Of course (she says, assuming everyone would know!), it’s because of the O Antiphons. At Vespers (the evening prayer of the Church liturgy) on each of the seven days before the celebration of Christmas, a different prophetic title attributed to Christ introduces the Magnificat, Mary’s song of praise. Today we remember the lineage of Jesus. Jesse was the father of King David. The prophets had foretold that the Messiah would be of the house and family of David and born in Bethlehem. Thus, today’s antiphon this evening will be: O Root of Jesse, standing as a sign among the people, to you the nations will make their prayer: Come and deliver us, and delay no longer. So in addition to considering my family lineage and our religious lineage, I think about the strong roots of my Maranta and how she has grown and been transplanted in different homes – perhaps to some I don’t even know – as those I have gifted pass on the gift. From a tiny root has come great beauty and instruction in prayer. What a blessing!

What’s My Line?

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appearances, encounter, God looks into the heart, Jesse, judging others, King David, King Saul, lifelong companion, non-judgmental, occupation, relationship, Samuel, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

When I was young, early in the television “game show” era there was a program called “What’s my line?” where panelists who were blindfolded attempted to guess the occupation of the guest by asking questions that began by eliminating large categories of careers and then became more and more particularized until finally someone (usually) guessed the person’s work. The first reading for today (1 SM 16:1-13) brought this show to mind although it barely seems to have relevance except perhaps in the process of eliminating people for a job rather than the other way around.

God is looking for a replacement for King Saul and tells Samuel to go to the House of Jesse where he will find God’s anointed one. Jesse had seven sons whom he presented to Samuel who thought even as he saw Eliab, the first son to appear, that “surely the Lord’s anointed is here before Him.” But God said to Samuel, “Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. Not as man sees does God see, because he sees the appearance but God looks into the heart.” Samuel must’ve been getting nervous as one by one the seven were rejected by God. Thankfully, when he asked, “Are these all the sons you have?” the answer was yes and, as we know, the youngest, the sheepherder, became the great King David, God’s beloved, from whose line Jesus was born.

Just two days ago I spoke of clothing and how we often judge by appearance. Here it is again. The italicized sentence is good advice for us if we are trying to live a good and godly life. “Looking into the heart” can’t be done in a quick encounter, unless it leads to a deep and meaningful conversation. Usually it takes some time for a relationship to develop, for trust to become the basis for sharing. There are exceptions, times when God surprises us with unexpected people who appear on our path for the first time and who, from that first encounter (which includes that deep and meaningful first conversation), become life-long companions. Our job is to stay alert for the gifts of relationship, whether they seem to come instantaneously or grow incrementally. If we foreclose on possibility without exploration, we always lose.

So blessings on all of us whose desire is to be non-judgmental, who welcome people into our hearts and give them the opportunity to find God’s presence there.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O Root of Jesse, Come!

Tags

Christmas, genealogy, Jesse, Joseph, King David, Matthew, O Antiphons, Root of Jesse, Samuel, Son of David, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tree of life

As we move forward in the history of God’s people and toward the celebration of Christmas, we encounter the person of Jesse in the O Antiphons. Jesse was a farmer and sheep breeder in Bethlehem who had eight sons, the youngest of whom was David, chosen by God as King of Israel. That the family of David would endure forever was an article of faith in monarchic circles (2 Samuel 7), supported by the fact that his dynasty had occupied the throne in unbroken succession for over four centuries. The genealogy of Jesus in chapter one of Matthew’s gospel shows the direct line from King David to Jesus through his legal father, Joseph. More than a statement of physical genealogy, then, Son of David is a Messianic title. When people referred to Jesus as Son of David (17 times in the New Testament), they were not only speaking of physical genealogy.  Rather, they meant that he was the long-awaited Deliverer, the fulfillment of the prophecies in the Hebrew Scriptures.

Our reflection for today may include gratitude for our own family genealogy as well the 2,000 years of Christian history initiated by Jesus and his genealogy, spanning 14 generations from Abraham to David and 14 from David to Jesus himself.

O Root of Jesse, You stand as ensign of mankind, before You kings shall keep silence and to You all nations shall have recourse. Come, save us, and do not delay.

O Root of Jesse, Tree of Life, you sprout from the royal line of King David. Yet you are the king of kings. All nations do you homage. Come, take root in us and bring us to flower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

O Root of Jesse’s Stem…Come!

Tags

Alleluia, antiphon, God's love, Isaiah, Jesse, King David, Magnificat, Messiah, miracle, prophecy, roots, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

By Sr. Ansgar Holmberg, CSJ

Today’s “Alleluia” verse, which also appears in evening prayer as the antiphon to the Magnificat (Mary’s Song) says O Root of Jesse’s Stem, sign of God’s love for all his people, come to save us without delay! 

This is a reference to the verses in the prophet Isaiah which promise (IS 11: 1,10) that the Messiah Israel waited for would be a descendent of Jesse, father of the great King David. This was the lineage of Jesus. When a tree dies and is cut back, there sometimes remains a root that eventually puts out a tender branch. Although it seemed that the ancestral line of King David had disappeared, the prophecy was seen to be fulfilled in a very unexpected way.

For me, this lesson is often manifested in plants which seemingly have fulfilled their lifespan but in the spring put forth a new shoot, an unexpected miracle that reminds me of the creative power of life and the love of God.

Who Is Blind?

Tags

blindness, darkness, David, Ephesians, Jesse, Jesus, John, light, Paul, Samuel, shing like the sun, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton

This morning’s readings are replete with references to blindness and sight, to darkness and light, leaving one to ponder, “Who then is the blind person and what is true seeing?”

The first reading from 1 Samuel is the familiar one about the search for a king to replace Saul. Jesse had lined up seven sons for the prophet Samuel who thought the task would be easy. He was ready to name the first one considered, Eliab, when the Lord spoke to him and said, “Do not judge from his appearance or his lofty stature…Not as man sees does God see, because man sees the appearance but the Lord looks into the heart.” It took rejection of all seven and the (probably frustrated) question from Samuel of, “Are these all the sons you have?” for Jesse to even consider mentioning David who was the youngest and out tending the sheep. “Look deeper,” God was saying. “Don’t stay on the surface of what’s necessary in this situation!” (Interestingly, this reading is followed by: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.”)

The reading from Paul (EPH 5: 8-14) is somewhat stunning in its direct address. Paul does not use simile here to make his point but challenges the Ephesians with a stark contrast. “Brothers and sisters,” he says, “you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light, for light produces every kind of goodness and righteousness and truth.” As we approach the season of spring, we know the importance of light for the growth of all manner of plants. Are we as concerned for our own quotient of life-producing light? If we can’t count on enough help from the sun (especially perhaps here in the northeast) where will the light come from? Paul seems to think we can be beacons of light – reminding me of a famous text from Thomas Merton who, in speaking of being a member of the human race, comments, “As if the sorrows and stupidities of the human condition could overwhelm me, now I realize what we all are. And if only everybody could realize this! But it cannot be explained. There is no way of telling people that they are all walking around shining like the sun.”

The gospel from John (9:1-41) can be seen as a good example of a long, drawn-out, convoluted attempt to prove a point which is obviously flawed. It is the story of the man born blind whom Jesus cured. That sounds like a simple fact to us but everyone was concerned about the whole situation because there were factors in the situation that were not what was expected. First, everyone – including the disciples – wanted to know (in keeping with the prevailing wisdom of the time) who had sinned to cause the blindness – the man or his parents. Jesus said, “Neither” and proceeded to give a speech about himself using this opportunity to manifest the works of God. Then he cured the man. After that everyone got into the act trying to figure out how the man had been cured. The man repeated several times: to the neighbors, the Pharisees, then a segment of the Pharisee contingent, then those Jews asking his parents, then the Pharisees again…the simple facts of Jesus making clay, putting it on his eyes, telling him to go and wash in the pool of Siloam, which gave him his sight. No one was listening. They didn’t expect that possibility of Jesus. Only the blind man himself progressed in his understanding, saying in answer to the queries: 1.”It was the man called Jesus.” 2. “He is a prophet.” 3. “I do believe, Lord.” In the end, those whose minds were closed finally gave up, missing the entire point. They were, one might say, too blind to see.