Lent is often a time of deepening for people who are trying to live a good life yet finding themselves less “holy” than they desire to be. (You can, perhaps, intuit how I would know this truth…) Anyway, there was a small paragraph on the franciscanmedia.org site this morning that I saw while reading the “saint of the day” section. I found it consoling, knowing that today would be a day for me to recommit to my Lenten mindset and spiritual practices. It’s the last sentence that spoke a kind reminder from God to me.
Saintly people show us that the love of God and love of neighbors are two sides of the same coin. Love of God strengthens us as we take small but concrete steps to express our love of neighbor. Our inability to do everything needed should not stop us from doing what we can.
Today is the feast of Teresa of Avila. Because it is Sunday, always a “first class feast,” we don’t hear about Teresa this year. I find it difficult to let it go by, however, without some mention of this woman who is one of only four women thus far in the history of the Roman Catholic Church to achieve the title of “Doctor of the Church.” Sister Teresa was a mystic, but also very active, tireless in her work of reforming the Carmelite order of nuns in the 1500’s in the most rigorous – some thought too extreme – way. Her writings were extensive and her spiritual practice was constant, although for many years she suffered many physical illnesses and a deprivation of any spiritual consolation. She never despaired, even in the face of investigation by the Inquisition, and her writings are considered one of the great treasures of Christian mysticism.
I received many messages over the past two weeks, mostly around the days of my going to and coming back from vacation. The majority of them encouraged me to be safe, stay safe or wished me safe travels. I presume that when we use those terms we’re speaking generally about our method of travel, although unless we’re driving a car we have little control – of the safety of the train, boat or plane. We have to fall back on the virtue of trust that I spoke about recently. Maybe people just want us to watch out for places where we might fall – like stepping off a curb that we misjudge.
Today is the feast of St. Alphonsus Liguori, a man who lived a long life (1696-1787, amazing even today!) and is known in our Church as the patron saint of moral theologians. A comment in his biographical sketch (
I think St. Martha ought to be the patron saint of the United States. (Today is her feast day.) We are so busy! One translation of the familiar message to Martha in the tenth chapter of Luke’s gospel has Jesus saying, “Martha, Martha, you’re anxious and worried about so many things…” but another has it as: “you are so BUSY…” Either one fits the description of so many of us whose lives are so full of activity that we find it difficult to sit still. Even when there is nothing pressing, we find some necessity staring us in the face. Even when we’re eating (at least if alone) we look for something to read, just to save time! Even our children don’t have time to sit down to talk or eat with parents because after school means basketball or travel soccer, music lessons or karate… then homework on into the night.
Today is one of those days when I find it difficult to determine a topic for reflection, not because there is nothing in the Scripture or from another source that draws me. Rather, the dilemma is choosing from a number of possibilities. The gospel text has Jesus asking, “Who do you say I am?” (LK 9:18-24), St. Paul speaks eloquently about our unity with his famous declaration that “there is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free person, male or female…” (GAL 3:26-29) and Psalm 69 fairly drips with longing, crying out to God, “For you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth parched, lifeless and without water…” I guess each of those citations speaks for itself, providing enough of a prompt for reflection without any need for commentary.
Somewhat distractedly, I began to skim the lectionary readings for today. First it was Ezechiel talking about God tending sheep – which always conjures up in me a vague envy for the life of a sheep herder or a dairy farmer (a more realistic choice for our day and location). It’s unrealistic, I know, but there’s something about seeing the animals in the simplicity of their lives – just grazing and having a routine with someone to care for them who moves through the days in relative quiet…Idyllic, no? Well, although I know the reality to be more difficult than that description, there is a warm feeling that arises when I read EZ 34: 11-16 as I did this morning. Then came the 23rd psalm and by the time I got to a second reading before the gospel I realized today must be a special feast in the Church. And so it is. Today we celebrate the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, simply described, as Paul does, in the letter to the Romans (5:5) by the declaration: “Brothers and sisters, the love of God has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.” The gospel completes the metaphoric shepherd references with the wonderful question of Jesus: “What man among you having a hundred sheep and losing one of them would not leave the ninety-nine and go after the lost one until he finds it?”
