Hoping Against Hope

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Acts of the Apostles, go deeper within, Jesus, John, love, Ordinary Time, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We are moving swiftly toward “Ordinary Time” – the season after Pentecost when we are left to our own devices, when Jesus leaves the earth for good and tests our trust in the Holy Spirit for faith and inspiration. The lectionary readings today are full of “foreshadowing” and are mixed between miracles with St. Paul in prison (Acts16) and Jesus in his disturbing message to the apostles (JN 16) where he says things like: “It is better for you that I go.” I can hear myself responding to that with “NO! You can’t go! What will we do without you? How will we know how to live in this confusing time?”

As I wrote that last part, I was reminded of the commentary on the news last night on MSNBC about all the unbelievable political issues and the violence in the world. So I ask again of Jesus: “How are we to live without your presence?” and I get the same difficult answer: Go deeper. Love as best you can and trust that I am with you. You need to find me in your best selves, in the evidence around you: the light that returns every morning without fail, the burgeoning of springtime, the kindness of strangers…everything that speaks of the good in the world.

Think of the best person you know and consider why that person is “best.” Make a list of all the good things in your life. Watch internet videos of babies interacting with one another…Do anything that shows the goodness in life. And trust in God, hoping against hope that God is, in fact, truly with us. And never stop doing your best to love one another as Christ loves us.

The Perfect Day

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blessings, John, joy, spring, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

The rain has finally stopped, the air is fresh and the breeze is invigorating (8:15 AM). It’s the perfect background for John’s gospel – repeated but not annoyingly redundant: “As the Father loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my love. If you keep my commandments you will remain in my love. Just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”
(Big finish)
“I have told you this so that my joy might be in you and your joy might be complete.”

(Can you feel it – the joy of such a morning? Just stop if you are able. Go outside and feel the earth singing God’s love for you! Sorry for my effusiveness. That’s what spring in the Northeast USA will do to you!)
Blessings on your day.

Settling In

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abide, Jesus, John, settle in, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

In today’s gospel, the single verse, (Jn. 15:4), contains the verb “remain” eight times. John could have substituted something like “as I DO” for at least one or two of those repetitions to smooth out the message of Jesus, but he didn’t. It makes me think that he was trying to push the point. In a commentary from The Little White Book, the author gives us lots of possibilities about the use of the word “remain” – like “abide with” or “dwell.” Then there is a suggestion of “settle in” with the following comment.

“There are some people (probably not too many) with whom I am completely ‘at home.’ I’m glad to see them and be with them. I ‘settle in’ and relax with them. When I settle in with someone, I don’t have to be talking all the time. It’s just plain good to be together. I’m at ease, at home with them. I don’t have to prove anything, show off. We’re together and all is well. If we do talk, we can talk about anything. And sometimes we do.”

Then the author asks two questions that I think are worth a day’s reflection:
1. Do I settle in with the Lord?
2. I wonder if I allow the Lord to settle in with me. Do I?

Searching for the Truth

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John, love, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, truth, truth will set us free

I was just reading an article from the news about the absolute blockage in the Senate. I feel it’s my duty to keep up at least a little with the governance in my country. Today it is as if there is absolutely no “give” as the 50/50 split seems impossible to overcome. Then I look down at today’s readings and see that John’s gospel sets a very high standard for decision-making. Jesus says, “if you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

How does a person find “the truth” today? Life is so complicated and there are so many voices giving so many messages. What about this one: “Love and do what you will.” That certainly presupposes good faith on all sides. But can we trust that everyone is acting out of that kind of mindset? How do you decide? So many questions…Where does your answer lie?

New Thoughts from Long Ago

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change, good, Isaiah, John, simple, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, trust

From the prophet Isaiah (Is 65:17-21) to the Gospel of John (Jn 4: 43-54) the Scripture readings for today are clear about what is happening here on this earth. Isaiah is simple and definitive in giving the message from God: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth…There shall always be rejoicing and happiness in what I create. It seems that things will not be proceeding as before. There is an element of faith necessary in the new order. (“Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe…”) It seems to me that the key for today is the verse before the gospel which says simply: Seek good and not evil so that you may live, and the Lord will be with you. (Am 5:14)

Clearly, if we look back over the past year, we might see a pattern that fits what is being done here. Great things—good things for good people are happening—worldly things: like new vaccines and monetary relief for “the least among us.” It seems that all of our people are not ready to accept the good that is happening. Even governors of some states refuse to adhere to some of the simple things that will save us. (“Wear a mask,” for example.) Although that is true, we may be looking for solutions that are more arduous, more complicated—or simply more to our liking. What we are being called to might necessitate faith in ourselves and, in addition, trust in others, even those we have never listened to, liked or believed in before. We might have to give up our cherished ways of seeing things. Maybe it’s just that simple—although not easy.

Read the Scripture texts for today again (aloud, if possible). See if you can find anything that calls to you about our situation today. It may be as simple as letting go into a new way of being. (I said simple—not easy!) You might just be surprised at the result.

Meanderings

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blind faith, calm, David, John, Lenten journey, Scriptures, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Sometimes, when I think I have a lot of time in the morning—or when something interesting grabs my attention as I scroll the news—I get lost in “the good, the bad and the ugly” and wonder what I am doing as the clock ticks away the day. I try not to let that happen because I usually come away anxious or depressed by the news.

Today is Sunday, the first of “daylight saving,” which confuses our internal clocks and makes some of us late for everything. Why do we think we can control time in this way—just saying that we have lost or gained an hour and acting on that dictum? Well, here we are again and I am taken by what I see as I look out my windows. I have two bedroom windows, you see. One of them is high and looks to the South. The other takes in sky and mountain and even the roof of the cottage in the back yard to the East. As I sit here today, I am happy to be looking south where a beautifully white cloud sails slowly by, encouraged by the wind kicking up. I can only “see” the wind, of course, because of the very tall tree flailing in the middle of the window. The eastern exposure is already preparing for what has been predicted as a serious snowstorm. The sun that was so happy earlier has gone into hiding behind very large and burly clouds.

The outer often mimics the inner here. I wonder if my mood would have stayed as lighthearted as it was an hour ago if I had left the news alone and attended only to the Scriptures after the day had dawned…but that stormy weather is predicted—heavy snow out west and who knows what for our neighborhood…and I have been depleted by the on-going trials around the world…The only way out for me now seems to be good ritual – even if it’s “virtual.”

As I look to the Scriptures for this Fourth Sunday of Lent I find solace in the healing of the blind man (Jn 9:1-41). Even as I look out on more clouds and wind, I know that blindness of all kinds can be healed and I look forward to that story (in an hour now) as well as the choice of David, that ruddy teenager that God chose out of all the brothers to lead the people out of darkness. David wasn’t prefect…by any stretch of the imagination, but God loved him dearly. I’ll hold to that as I prepare for prayer to calm whatever “the weather” brings to my soul today.

Conversion: That “Still Small Voice Inside”

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Exodus, God does not disappoint, John, metanoia, Romans, the elect, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Here we are, already at the middle of Lent, the the first of three weekends when we are offered two sets of readings from the lectionary, giving us special messages in case we are in the company of someone(s) experiencing a “metanoia,” a turning—in a very public and visible way—a turning toward deeper relationship/commitment to God. The liturgies that call for special messages for “the elect”—those people speaking with their lives as they stand before us in the Church—are for all of us really, to recommit to our faith. You can hear the call in the readings, specially chosen for this day. The Psalm rings out (hopefully in song!) If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts! The Israelites had been grumbling about God to Moses (“Is the Lord in our midst or not?” (Ex. 17:3-7) We hear the answer in Paul’s letter to the Romans (5: 1-2, 6-8) which speaks of the hope that we must have in the God who does not disappoint “because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit.” We have the proof of that reality in the people who are throwing in their lot with us. All over the world on this day they will stand to be counted in their intention to join us as they and we listen to the story of the Samaritan woman who recognizes Jesus as the one God has sent as “Messiah.” It is a wonderful story from the Gospel of John (4: 5-42), best acted out rather than read, I think, and if we truly enter in, the conversion of the “elect” will be ours as well.

These are the days when ritual is at its best. Even if we are still hampered by the Coronavirus and can only enter in virtually, it is worth the effort to put yourself in the stories and feel the moments of transformation when God’s voice cannot be eluded because something in us knows that we must listen to the holy longing calling us to step up and hear what God is offering. May we join in prayer with those offering themselves today in a new and deeper way, and may we be similarly moved ourselves to accept the gift that is our “Yes!” to the love of God that surpasses all understanding.

Overwhelming Challenge

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Capitol, challenge, consciousness, grace, hate, John, love, Peace, reconstruction, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Never has it been more difficult to open my computer to consider what to say for a blog post. After yesterday, there seems no way to express the feelings that I now I share with all those in the U.S. who witnessed the wanton destruction that took place in Washington, D.C. yesterday. We now know some of the horror, sadness and upheaval that so many lands live with all the time. How are we to face what has happened and move beyond blaming to a consciousness of what has happened, in order to find peace and reconstruction of our government and our hearts?

As it happens, I found in my mailbox at noon today an answer that posed a gigantic challenge for me. Join me, if you will, in what will likely be a very difficult process of effort at healing. You see, I doubt we will be able to explain away the violence and if we do not meet it head on (the reasons for it, I mean) it will remain in our collective consciousness to our detriment. So here is what I found when I opened the devotional pamphlet that gives me hope for every day. It’s called Living Faith and that seems more essential today than ever before. Here is what awaited me of the actual lectionary readings for today. It was shocking in its challenge but struck me as exactly what I needed.

If anyone says, “I love God,” but hates his brother, he is a liar, for whoever does not love a brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.” (1 JN 4:20). Consider that with respect to the events of yesterday and pray for grace.

Transfiguration

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faithfulness, James, Jesus, John, learning, Peter, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transfiguration

Today is a significant day for many people in religious communities, including mine. It is the anniversary of “vow day” when we pledged our lives to God. Akin to the marriage ceremony, it was the beginning of a lifetime of learning. It is called the Feast of the Transfiguration because the gospel for today recounts the story of Jesus taking three of his closest followers up a mountain to pray. That was not an uncommon event but something significant happened on that particular climb. Peter, James and John had a vision that day of Jesus, transformed into a being of light—his true identity. This was likely early in their following of Jesus and after it, because of the experience, they were ready to set up tents and stay on that mountain forever. Jesus had no intention, however, of allowing that to happen. It was a beginning, not an end.

And so it is with us. Although we had come to know in some way that our relationship with God was to be the motivating force of our life and we said so publicly on this day, it was not a day of completion. Rather, it was just the beginning of what has been the journey toward the light we had seen then. Today calls us (and by extension all of you reading this) to reflect on our movement toward the light of God, the light that we are growing into on our earthly journey. We celebrate the ups and downs, the ins and outs and the faithfulness of God in whom it began and whose presence calls us ever forward in grace. And on we go.

Our “Faith Quotient”

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doubt, faith, John, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas the apostle

Today Christians celebrate the Apostle Thomas. It’s a comforting remembrance for me. When we think of the saints, the list includes theologians and martyrs and people of all manner of greatness. Thomas was one of “The Twelve,” those chosen members of the inner circle of Jesus, the ones who walked with him for the three years of his public ministry, saw the expressions of his power and the depth of his love for people—all kinds of people, especially the most needy. They listened to him preach and saw him go away by himself to pray. They were his closest companions and in the end, most of them died in the service of his mission.

Thomas stands out in one gospel passage. After all that they had experienced with him, they were nevertheless frightened after Christ’s resurrection (as I presume I would have been if I had been there) when he appeared in that “Upper Room” to let them know he was still with them. Thomas was missing from that visitation and therefore had to be told of the event. Clearly, Thomas could be seen as a concrete thinker, willing (able?) to believe only what he could see and hear and touch. And so he became, for all time, the one who is remembered as “doubting Thomas.” He wanted to see Jesus, touch him and feel his wounds to know he was truly the one who had companioned them.

We know the whole story concisely reported in John’s gospel (20: 24-29). I do not believe that Jesus came back to shame Thomas in the midst of his companions. It must have been very hard for Thomas but my hope is that the others were relieved for him, that having seen what he asked for, he could then believe what the others had already experienced. But it seems that this event is for us as well as for Thomas.

Christ asks Thomas a question which I’m sure caused Thomas a lot of deep reflection. (“Have you come to believe because you have seen me?”) Then we are addressed, we who have not seen the Lord “in the flesh.” It is not a question, but rather a hope, a promise—and likely for some a challenge. When you hear the words, “Blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed,” are you a “doubting Thomas” sometimes? Am I?