God’s Grace In Us

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ego, fallible, God, grace, Paul, power, Scriptures, sufficient, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, weakness

Sometimes it can be very comforting to read the letters of Paul in the Scriptures, like today when he speaks about his ego getting the best of him. When that happens, he notes that there’s always something that reminds him of his fallible nature. When he begs God to make him better (Sound familiar??) God’s response is amazingly reassuring and loving. We would do well to believe God says the same to us. Listen and see if you can rest in both parts of the answer.

My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness. (2 COR 12:9)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being Light

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darkness, daylight, Ephesians, God, John, light, light of the world, Lord, Scriptures, shining within, St. Paul, sun, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, transformation

On this day we begin the season of “daylight saving” by having decided at some moment in the past to say that 7:00AM is now 8:00AM in order that darkness will not descend upon us so soon tonight. It seems ironic that the Scriptures for today include (if reading the alternate “Year A’ texts) a strong directive from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians as well as a declaration before the gospel from John – both on the subject of light.

John declares, “I am the light of the world, says the Lord; whoever follows me will have the light of life.” (JN 8:12) Having the light of God shining within us is something to be desired and worked toward in our daily life. It’s as if God is promising to be a beacon – like a flashlight for us – which, if we only flip the switch to “ON,” will illuminate our path.

Paul goes even further in his command to the Ephesians and to us that we actually must become the light. No prepositional phrases for Paul about living in the light; rather, Paul says, “You were once darkness but now you are light in the Lord.” (EPH 5:8) For Paul, it seems that following the light of God is not enough. We, ourselves, must be transformed into that light. That’s an astounding statement if we really consider the depth of its meaning. Thomas Merton had a vision of what that might be like which he described as [people] all walking around shining like the sun.

Are we ready and willing to take the responsibility of lighting the way, being that beacon in concert with God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Words We Use

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Ancient Songs Sung Anew, bless, honor, language, Lord, love, mercy, New American Bible, Psalm 103, Scriptures, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, words

I always marvel at the way good writers can convince readers of their stated purpose or evoke emotional response just by a turn of phrase. I am also well aware of the fact that each of us is affected differently by language, given our personality, culture and life experience. That’s why I sometimes use alternate translations from the Scriptures. Today is a good example for me because I find myself responding with joy to verses in Psalm 103 from both the lectionary translation and from Ancient Songs Sung Anew: the Psalms As Poetry. A sampling of lines from each may lean you toward a favorite or may allow each to touch you in a way that expands your appreciation – or you may find a translation that suits you better than both. Take a look and see what you think.

NAB (New American Bible): Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all my being bless his holy name! Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits. He pardons all your iniquities; he heals all your ills…For as the heavens are high above the earth, so surpassing is his kindness to those who fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he put our transgressions from us.

ASSA: (Ancient Songs Sung Anew): God, I bless you with my whole heart and soul. In honor I invoke your name. Each day I bless you, God of all; never will I forget the good that you have meant to me…I wear your love and mercy like a crown…For as the heavens reach infinitely beyond all space and time, we swim in mercy as in an endless sea… For like a parent who tenderly loves a child, so deep in love are you with those who honor you.

 

 

 

 

 

The Essential Question

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Christ, christians, compassion, Elijah, John the Baptist, listen, live, love, Mark, Matthew, Scriptures, speak truth, The Sophia Center for Spirituality

We all have our own perspectives on things and sometimes there is not only difference in how we see things, but downright opposition to the views of others. I’m always reminded of this when the “Who do people say that I am?” question shows up in the Scriptures. (Today in MK 8.) That’s the easy question though because the answer can include lots of hearsay, e.g. “Elijah or one of the prophets” (reincarnated?) or John the Baptist (more tricky since they lived at the same time). The riskier question comes next when Jesus asks the question that calls for a response of personal conviction: “Who do you say I am?” No one rushes to that answer and Peter seems the only one to finally get up the courage to speak his mind, or more probably, what he knows in his heart: “You are the Christ.”

I had a phone conversation yesterday about the necessity of listening compassionately without judgment to differing opinions on topics of importance. Never has it seemed more difficult or more crucial for us to do so. And the second part of this practice is to speak the truth as it is known to us with a willingness to enter into honest dialogue with those who might disagree.

It might be easier for Christians today than in apostolic times to declare that Jesus is the Christ, but the implications of what that means about how we live our lives differs greatly. Jesus didn’t talk a lot about how to live; his teaching was mainly in his living. If we could just focus on the dictum, “Love one another as I have loved you,” and read Matthew 25 about “the sheep and the goats” once in awhile, we might do our living in a more compassionate manner, listening to others and even disagreeing sometimes but loving one another as God loves us.

It Remains to Be Seen

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Advent, commit, commitment, grace, intention, Isaiah, Lectionary, Mark Divine, Scriptures, seek God, St. Louis Jesuits, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, The Way of the Seal, urgency

This morning my reading of the day’s lectionary texts catapulted me back over thirty years into a reverie of liturgical music by the prolific St. Louis Jesuits. These amazing singer/songwriters brought the Scriptures alive with music that is still standard in Catholic churches and other Christian denominations to this day. (Check out YouTube for samples!) Today it was the gospel acclamation that started it all. Seek the Lord while he may be found! declared Isaiah 55:6. Call to him while he is still near! It sounded so urgent – so NOW! (although I must confess to adding the exclamation points myself.) I went then to YouTube to hear again the almost staccato delivery of those words that constitute the entire refrain of the song, building to the news of the three verses that: 1) Today is the day…to turn to the Lord, 2) As high as the sky…are the ways of the Lord, and 3) His words, his ways…lead us to life. Maybe you have to hear it to understand my enthusiasm (so feel free to Google “Seek the Lord” or go to YouTube) but that’s only part one of my morning pondering.

Having been “under the weather,” as they say, for nearly a week (much better now but still less than energetic), I have had a fair amount of time to assess things. I’m looking (albeit briefly) at time management, reorganization of my bedroom (because of spending so much time here), future commitments…lots of things. With the words of the song ringing in my heart, I moved to my computer to write something like what appears in the paragraph above. For some reason I clicked instead on my email account which I always avoid until the blog post is complete for fear of becoming entangled in what can be an entire day’s work. I was aware of going there and proceeded curiously, thinking there might be a reason for the diversion. I was not disappointed as what met my eye was the title of a “daily word” that I received from where and whom I do not know. It said, “How’s Your Commitment?” These are some of the thoughts that followed:

Certainty is a powerful energetic force essential for breaking inertia and developing momentum. The seed of certainty is found in commitment, a one-way street…Take a cue from Yoda, who forcefully mentors Luke: “Do or do not; there is no try!” You must commit with everything you have; otherwise say “no” or “not now.” (from The Way of the Seal by Mark Divine)

So…is there really a way that all this fits together? It seems so to me. How is it that I will choose to attend to the urgency that is growing within me to seek the Lord? I never think there will be a day that the Lord is not near or that grace is not accessible to me, but maybe it is the level of commitment in each moment that needs some energetic infusion in me – a worthy reflection for the season of Advent. Perhaps if the intention takes hold I will know some sort of new birth by Christmas. I can only hope…to commit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How Hungry?

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bread alone, eternal life, going deeper, hungry, Jesus, loaves and fishes, Matthew, reflection, Scriptures, spiritual life, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Word of God

The gospel acclamation gives a clue to the message of Jesus this morning, saying: One does not live by bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God (MT 4:4). The day after they had eaten their fill from the miraculous multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the crowd could not find Jesus so, knowing that many boats had crossed the Sea of Galilee (not a very far distance) they, themselves, got into boats and found him in Capernaum. When they asked how he got there he didn’t answer but rather said to them, You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life. (JN 6).

It’s interesting to follow the 6th chapter of John’s gospel. First we have the miracle when great compassion for the hungry crowds has Jesus creating a meal for 5,000 (plus women and children) out of 5 loaves and 2 fishes. The next day when they come back for more he seems to be remonstrating with them in what he says (quoted above). Maybe he’s just tired of being pursued and looking for a little respite at home. It does sound like he slipped away purposely the night before. I think, however, that he is just pushing them to go a little deeper. It is important to give people the necessities of life before trying to evangelize – missionaries know that – but once people have been fed and provided for on a physical level, it’s time to “go for the gold” in living a spiritual life.

I was thinking how beneficial it has been for me to write this blog almost every day. Reflecting on the Scriptures in this way has sharpened my perception about the universal nature of the messages I find there and the application to daily life becomes clearer with each reflection. Then I find in out-of-the-way places “the word of God” which calls for a response from me. I have become more hungry for that word and believe now that I cannot live without it. It is indeed this food that endures for eternal life.