Who Is Your God?

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God's grace, kind, kindness, merciful, O bless the Lord my soul, Psalm 103, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

Psalm 103 is very clear about the God we believe in. God’s “reputation” has often been sullied by those who choose to subjugate others—by power hungry leaders and those who rule “with an iron hand.” Think for a moment of how you would best describe the God that you know. Then listen to the psalmist who speaks this morning…

Bless the Lord, O my soul..The Lord is kind and merciful. God pardons all your iniquities and heals all your ills. God redeems your life from destruction and crowns you with kindness and compassion…Not according to our sins does the Lord deal with us, nor does our God requite us according to our crimes…For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is God’s kindness…

Sit for awhile with those words and see if you can agree with the psalmist. Consider the blessings in your life and the difficult times that you have endured. Be specific in naming events and people whose actions toward you represent God’s grace in your life. Dig deep…Can you agree that “the Lord is kind and merciful” and therefore pray: “Bless the Lord, my soul!”

Kind and Merciful

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, fierce bonding love, kindness, Lynn Bauman, merciful, Psalm 103, swim in mercy, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, universe

What a great God is ours! Today Psalm 103 assures us of this fact with the refrain: The Lord is kind and merciful. We are told that God crowns us with mercy and compassion and that (in one translation) we swim in mercy as in an endless sea.* That understanding includes the concept of mercy as a fierce bonding love** and assures us that we are constantly blessed with that kind of love from the One who created the universe and all that is in it.

Who could ask for anything more?

*Ancient Songs Sung Anew: The Psalms as Poetry by Lynn Bauman

**Old Age: Journey into Simplicity by Helen Luke

Last Judgment

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generosity, Jesus, judging others, Luke, merciful, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

In case anyone was in doubt about the meaning of the directive at the beginning of today’s gospel passage where Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your heavenly Father is merciful,” the rest of the short text (LK 6:36-38) sounds like a “call and response” chant that a teacher might use in school to define what s/he means. Teacher: “When I say ‘Stop judging,’ you say…” Students: “And you will not be judged.” Following are prompts to stop condemning, forgive, and give, with the overarching conclusion that “the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.”

Even though that clearly sounds like “tit-for-tat” or giving to get, I never think of it that way, most likely because I continually see Jesus moving us toward more generosity. It is, however, quite clear – in a staccato sort of way – that we need to wake up to an inventory of our behaviors to see how we’re treating one another. I’m pretty good, I think, in the giving and forgiving arenas and I try never to condemn anyone because I rarely know the depth of anyone else’s heart. Judging, though, is just so easy to do! It seems to arise almost automatically sometimes. I think I’ll be working on that one until I take my last breath, but if I breathe out the last of my judgments at that moment, I guess I will have made the grade in God’s embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

View From the Mirror

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compassion, forgive, forgiven, grateful, hide, honest, imperfections, injustice, kindness, look honestly, love, merciful, mirror, pray, self-esteem, Sirach, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

I remember my sister saying once long ago during a visit to our motherhouse that you could tell you were in a convent because there were no mirrors anywhere! I suppose that, if often true, that had two purposes: 1. to keep the Sisters from the vanity of wasting time gazing at themselves, and 2. since there was no hair or make-up to be concerned about because our habits covered almost every inch of the body and getting dressed was a quick, rote exercise. Now, because we do not have the “luxury” of such a simple and universal couture, mirrors are a part of household furnishing in most religious houses.

I haven’t spent a lot of time thinking on the value of this change but I do think there is a benefit, again for two reasons. 1. I have a friend who used to begin her workshops on self-esteem by asking how many people in the audience looked in the mirror while they’re brushing their teeth or their hair and say, “What a woman!” (or “Hello, handsome!”) People used to laugh at that, but her point was made because rarely did anyone admit to a positive response to her question. We need to see ourselves as God sees us: marvels of creation – and be grateful. 2. On the other hand, while we’re looking in that mirror we ought to try each day to be totally honest with ourselves and God about our imperfections. What we try to hide from other people should be frankly looked at in that mirror, again with the realization that God is looking back at us with love. Tender mercy and forgiveness are always there if we are willing to look honestly at ourselves.

The readings in today’s lectionary are all about God’s mercy and forgiveness. The Book of Sirach says this: Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven and Could anyone refuse mercy to another like himself…? The Letter to the Romans speaks of how we live and die for the Lord. In so doing, therefore, it stands to reason that we ought to act like the Lord. In the gospel we have Peter trying to figure out how many times we are asked to forgive those who have wronged us and Jesus disappointing him perhaps with the answer: 70 X 7 times – which we know means “every time.”

All those words we know, but do we allow them to live within us so that we don’t become frustrated when we fail in the love we know we owe to others? The most comforting of all the quotes today (perhaps because I hear it put to music sung often in my church) is the psalm response. It sings in me, The Lord is kind and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in kindness (or rich in compassion, depending on your translation). Try looking in the mirror, even in your darkest days, and say that line aloud. Can you possibly resist a promise of forgiveness like that?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mercy Within Mercy Within Mercy…

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broken heart, disdain, his mercy endures forever, Joan Chittister, justice, legalism, merciful, mercy, openness, pity, psalm 136, rejection, show mercy, The Monastic Way, The Sign of Jonas, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, understanding

This morning as I read Psalm 136, I recalled that I used to find it tedious in its repetition (every other line!) of the refrain, God’s mercy endures forever. In speaking of God’s action for the Israelites, it can become a singsong recording of their history: God led them through the wilderness, for his mercy endures forever; and made their land a heritage, for his mercy endures forever…and freed us from our foes, for his mercy endures forever… It was easy in our communal prayer to lose consciousness of the meaning of what we were saying (sometimes not really praying). It was when I first heard the definition of mercy as “fierce bonding love” rather than God’s willingness to “take pity on us” that my sense of what was happening in that psalm began to take on the deeper meaning of a real and lasting relationship with a beloved people.

That reminder was enhanced by a serendipitous discovery of the January 2008 issue of The Monastic Way that I found stuck in a book next to my chair this morning. I hadn’t intended to talk about mercy this morning – desiring something that would match the intensity of feeling in our country in the wake of the hateful demonstrations of the week. When I saw Joan Chittister’s monthly reflection pamphlet, however, I knew it was the perfect theme. If we are to become a mirror of God’s work in the world, we cannot ignore the quality of mercy. Some of Sister Chittister’s daily thoughts were the following:

• We pray for mercy; we expect mercy. What we find difficult to do is to be merciful to those in need of it. Or as George Eliot says, “We hand folks over to God’s mercy, and show none ourselves.”
• The great spiritual question is not whether or not this person, this situation deserves mercy. It’s about whether or not we ourselves are capable of showing it.
• The major holy-making moment in our own lives may be when we receive the mercy we know we do not deserve. Then, we may never again substitute disdain for understanding, rejection for openness, legalism for justice. “I think perhaps it is a better world,” Helen Waddell writes, “if one has a broken heart. Then one is quick to recognize it, elsewhere.”

These “words” deserve some attention, I believe – perhaps even a little soul-searching. In summary, I offer the stated theme of this valuable reflection pamphlet printed on the cover page. It comes from Thomas Merton’s book, The Sign of Jonas, and offers what Joan Chittister calls a definition of God.

I have always overshadowed you with my mercy…Have you had sight of Me, My child? Mercy within mercy within mercy.

 

 

 

 

 

More Mercy

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abbot, Benedict, gracious, Joan Chittister, judgment, kindness, Lent, merciful, mercy, monastic life, perfection, Pope Francis, Psalm 95, spirituality, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Wisdom Distilled from the Daily, Year of Mercy

I’ve thought and talked a lot about mercy, especially since I came to understand that it has more to do with love than with pity. At the conclusion of the “Year of Mercy” declared by Pope Francis, it was suggested that we continue to keep that virtue front and center in our lives. Not a bad idea, it seems, in our broken, frustrating world as we attempt to maintain equilibrium and good faith each day.

Lent is a perfect time for practicing mercy and contemplating the breadth of what it can mean – not just as an aspect of God but in our human interactions as well. Psalm 95 acknowledges God’s mercy to us this morning with the refrain: The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

From the human side, Joan Chittister has a great paragraph about mercy in monastic life in her book Wisdom Distilled From the Daily. In speaking about the qualities of the abbot she writes the following which I find to be comforting as well as challenging.

The abbot must be more intent on mercy than on judgment. But if that is the case, then clearly Benedict knew the world was made up of the very imperfect, the very human where a great deal of mercy would be necessary as we each wound our stumbling, human way to God. We, on the other hand, find it so hard not to expect perfection of ourselves and, because of that, to expect it of others as well. We drive ourselves and drive everyone around us beyond any achievable standard and then wonder why we fail and fail and fail. Benedictine spirituality says that life is a set of weaknesses in search of wholeness and we must be patient with one another’s growth. (p. 115)

Be Not Indifferent, but Different

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Christian, communion, compassion, Fr. Michael Crosby, Good Samaritan, justice, kindness, Luke, merciful, mercy, Peace, Pope Francis, Sisters of St. Joseph, spirituality, Year of Mercy

Yesterday I spent the day with the majority of the Sisters of St. Joseph in the Albany Province listening to and interacting with Fr. Michael Crosby, a Capuchin Franciscan friar, who has become over the past several decades a strong voice for justice and spirituality not only in our Church but for the world. As we move toward the conclusion of the “Year of Mercy” we could not have a better companion and beacon of light to help us understand the nuances in the Scriptures and in our lives for the practice of mercy. Steeped in the gospels, Father Mike used especially the example of the Good Samaritan and broke it open in ways that were new and challenging. In addition, he presented us with the text of last week’s general audience of Pope Francis (10/12/16) which focused hearers on the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. For those of us who are sometimes overwhelmed by conditions in the world that seem beyond our power to change, the following words of Pope Francis gave a challenge but also the possibility of a way forward.

[Jesus] taught his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”  (Luke 6:36) It is a commitment that challenges the conscience and action of every Christian. In fact, it is not enough to experience God’s mercy in one’s life; it is necessary that whoever receives it becomes also a sign and instrument of it for others. Moreover, mercy is not reserved only for particular moments, but it embraces the whole of our daily existence.

How then can we be witnesses of mercy? We do not think that it has to do with making great efforts or superhuman gestures. No, it is not like this. The Lord indicates to us a much simpler way, made up of little gestures, which, however, in His eyes, have great value… (emphasis mine)

The point is, is seems, to become ever more conscious of others and their needs, never allowing indifference to be our mode of operating but practicing kindness that will fund the well of compassion building in the world. In this hope, in this communion, is our peace.

 

 

Even Now…

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Ezekiel, God waits, gracious, Joel, John, Lazarus, merciful, regrets, Roman Catholic, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, time

Once again this Sunday there are two sets of readings in our lectionary in recognition of those people preparing to join in full communion with the Roman Catholic Church. And once again, from all possible choices, it is a small phrase from the verse before the gospel that sets my mind on a path of reflection. As God’s messenger, the prophet Joel cries out: Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart, for I am gracious and merciful. No matter if you are the woman caught in adultery (JN 8:1-11) or if you are already dead (EZ 37:12-14) or Lazarus (JN 11:1-45)…Even now it’s not too late for God to act.

Several times lately I have had conversations about how quickly time seems to be passing and often those conversations include a quiver of disbelief about how old we are at present. Sometimes those musings are tinged with regret about what we have left undone or how slow and undisciplined we are in achieving daily or long-term goals. How reassuring, then and always, it is to hear God’s voice saying (more gently than the prophet’s cry) Even now, return…even now, I wait for you…even now I love you completely…even now.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70 X 7

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forgive, forgiven, forgiveness, gracious, innumerable, Jesus, Joel, merciful

There are two strong statements in today’s Scripture passages, one from the Book of the Prophet Joel that appears as the gospel acclamation and one from Jesus in the gospel. As is often the case, I am taken by a few words or a phrase, today being the introductory phrase of each citation that gives strength to the message.

The gospel is really about the wicked servant that is forgiven and yet does not forgive his colleague a debt. This parable is occasioned by the question to Jesus that says: “Lord, if my brother sins against me, how many times must I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus answers: “I say to you, not seven but seventy-seven times.” There’s no question that forgiveness is necessary since the questioner doesn’t ask, “do I have to?” but “how many times must I forgive?” Jesus responds beginning with the frequently used, “I say to you” which often appears in the Scriptures as counter or more emphatic to a former statement of law, or to assure that listeners are really getting the point. And we know that “seventy times seven” means “innumerable” in Scriptural terms.

Reading backward from the gospel to its introductory verse, we hear Joel remind us: “Even now, says the Lord, return to me with your whole heart for I am gracious and merciful.” That message floods me with relief from the first two words, telling me that past behavior can always be forgiven if I am willing to turn my life around now. Even at this late date, God is still hoping for my return, no matter what came before. That is certainly enough to convince me that forgiveness of anyone in my life for anything they have done is the right thing for me to do. If God is willing, so must I be – 70 X 7.

Synonyms

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alternative Beatitudes, benevolent, benign, clement, compassionate, forbearing, forgiving, generous, gracious, humane, humanitarian, indulgent, Jesus, kind, lenient, liberal, Luke, magnanimous, merciful, mercy, mild, softhearted, sympathetic, tenderhearted, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, tolerant

In this morning’s gospel passage, (LK 6:36-38) Jesus concludes what is sometimes seen as Luke’s “alternative Beatitudes” teaching with a number of qualities/behaviors necessary to the spiritual life. Among his directives is listed “Be merciful.” Over the centuries, mercy has come to be reduced to the concept of pity, as in “Be merciful to us, Lord, for we have sinned.” Interestingly, as I perused the dictionary of synonyms this morning, of twenty similar adjectives only pitying was in less bold print than the others. So as we think of how God wishes us to treat one another today, let us consider that our actions should be forgiving, compassionate, clement, forbearing, lenient, humane, mild, kind, softhearted, tenderhearted, gracious, sympathetic, humanitarian, liberal, tolerant, indulgent, generous, magnanimous, benign, benevolent and, as the dictionary says, “More.”