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Tag Archives: Timothy

Perseverance

20 Sunday Oct 2019

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Amalek, Hebrews, Joshua, judgment, Moses, patience, Paul, perseverance, prayer, psalm 121, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy

The lectionary readings for this 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time seem like a chain whose links build a good argument for “stick-to-itiveness” (Can that really be a word?!)

First we have Moses and the Israelites in a battle with Amalek which seems rather outrageous. Moses is up at the top of a hill watching the battle led by Joshua. His staff in hand, Moses watches and directs the fight. (Here’s the part that seems rather strange.) “As long as Moses kept his hands raised up, Israel had the better of the fight but when he grew tired Amalek got the advantage.” Happily, Moses had a rock to sit on when his legs got tired and two men to hold up his arms when his arms were giving out, so Israel won the fight. (Perseverance with a little help: yes?)

Next we have Psalm 121 (1-8) with all kinds of encouragement about how “our help is from the Lord,” followed by Paul’s challenge to Timothy (TM 4: 1-2) to “be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient,” advising him specifically to “convince, reprimand and encourage through all patience and teaching.” (That last part — patience and teaching — seems to me the most likely to be effective.)

Finally we have the story of the unjust judge who rendered a decision in favor of the woman whose presence and bothering would not let him rest. His reasoning is weak but the point of the woman’s perseverance is made and drives home the point of all the elements in the chain. Moreover, it seems to me that it all can be summed up by the verse before the gospel that assures us: “The word of God is living and active, discerning reflections and thoughts of the heart.” (HEB 4:12)

Hard Questions

06 Sunday Oct 2019

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love, Peace, power, self-control, speaking truth to power, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, truth

Again today, just one line from St. Paul. In his second letter to Timothy, Paul said the following: For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice but rather of power and love and self-control. (2 TIM 1:7) We would do well to reflect on these qualities in these difficult days when darkness seems to toy with the waning light of day, when violence seems to compromise peace in the world and when leadership in our institutions sometimes seems to fail instead of leading us. Where in ourselves can we find the strength to speak truth to power, to stay the course of peace in times of conflict? And how will we be the love of God to all we meet, regardless of return or reward?

Words

29 Sunday Sep 2019

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gentleness, patience, perseverance, psalm 146, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, virtues

There are a lot of words in the USCCB readings for this Sunday. I suppose it would be only fair to choose a balance of difficult – if there be such – and joyful words, but today I am filled with happy gratitude. I am a guest at a lovely, large, friendly house of the School Sisters of Notre Dame in Wilton, Connecticut and feel only the warmth of hospitality that fits Psalm 146 where I read: Praise the Lord, my soul! or an alternative response of Alleluia!

What prompted me initially to consider the words was the beginning of the reading from Paul’s first letter to Timothy which held the following advice. Brothers, (but of course he meant “and sisters,”) pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. (1 TM 6:11) That’s a pretty big order but in this house I am certain that the effort Sisters make toward those virtues is all wrapped up in perseverance which is, I believe, all that God desires from all of us.

Today seems a good day to reflect on those six words, saying them aloud looking in a mirror to see how I find each looking back at me and which, if any, appear in shadow today. Perhaps I might then bring the “shadowy” ones into the sunlight that is already shining brightly outside my window. (Remember patience and gentleness are both in the list and God asks only for our best!)

Yes.

18 Monday Sep 2017

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conscious, contemplative prayer, intentions, mercy of God, petitions, Pope Francis, prayer, prayer life, quiet, St. Paul, Thanksgiving, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, tranquil, unity

aprayerIn St. Paul’s first letter to Timothy, his young protégé, he urges the importance of prayer as a constant in life. I was struck this morning with many questions when I read the following:

Beloved: First of all, I ask that supplications, prayers, petitions, and thanksgiving be offered for everyone, for kings and for all in authority, that we may lead a quiet and tranquil life in all devotion and dignity…It is my wish then, that in every place [people] should pray, lifting up holy hands, without anger or argument. (1TM 2:1-3, 8)

I immediately thought of Pope Francis and his exhortations toward mercy and unity, care for creation and one another. Then I thought of all manners of prayer and how my prayer life has changed over the years, primarily with a decrease in formal vocal prayer and an increase of intention and contemplative prayer. Do I recognize that all prayer has merit? And, I asked myself, although I try to pray with intention, how universal are the intentions for which I pray? For example, I may pray for our country or peace in the world but do I ever pray for politicians or church leaders by name? What about people for whom I hold no affection? Are they not in need of my prayer also? And might I not be changed by praying for those same individuals? What about praying for myself? Do I prepare for my prayer time by quieting myself and bringing my body, mind and spirit into oneness as much as possible? And do I give thanks at the conclusion of my prayer? So many questions…It’s a good reflection on willingness.

Today seems like a good time to start praying in a conscious, loving way for our President, the Congress, leaders of the military and those charged with public safety. That’s a big order. The first step will be a short prayer called “Yes.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saints

01 Tuesday Nov 2016

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All Saints Day, Blessed Mother, canonized, earnest, faith, genuine, martyrdom, sainthood, saints, sincere, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, wholehearted

asincereToday, the feast of All Saints in Western Christianity, always seemed to me in my younger days as sort of a “catch-all” for those of us who were not named after a canonized saint: a holy person (often a martyr for the faith) proclaimed as such by a Church celebration and venerated on their own special day. It was a relief to me that my middle name was Ann so that I lived under the protection of the Blessed Mother’s mother. Actually I found it pretty cool to have the grandmother of Jesus as my patron saint! Otherwise I would have had to settle for St. Louis – not the city but a King of France. Later I also found Lois in the Scriptures at the beginning of the second letter to Timothy: I find myself thinking of your sincere faith – faith which first belonged to your grandmother Lois and to your mother Eunice, and which I am confident that you also have. (2 TM 1:4-5) That convinced me that I was covered on both counts – first and middle names – and that it was lucky to have two extra grandmothers to watch over me.

This morning I was thinking about what makes a person worthy of the title “saint” and for some reason (before I was even thinking about Timothy’s grandmother) the word that came to me was sincere. Knowing that St. Paul called all those who received his letters “saints” made me conclude – as the Church has – that martyrdom isn’t the only way to be considered as a saint. Maybe we can only be called “saints in the making” but I think sincerity is a good place to start defining. Sincere, Merriam Webster says, means wholehearted, heartfelt, unfeigned, genuine in feeling, absent of hypocrisy, embellishment or exaggeration, earnest devotedness…

As I go through this day I expect to encounter a number of people who are on their way to sainthood. I will try to pay attention to the ways they act out that potential and maybe have a fuller definition by nightfall. Won’t you join me in the search?

Wait For It…

02 Sunday Oct 2016

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faith mustard seed, fulfillment, Habakkuk, hear, Luke, Psalm 95, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, vision

amustardseedAll of the lectionary readings today urge us to recognize the gift of faith that is already in us and the courage we need in order to develop and maintain steadfastness in that faith. When the apostles say to Jesus, Lord, increase our faith, Jesus offers what we can only call hyperbole as a response, saying: If you had faith the size of a mustard seed, you would say to this mulberry tree, “Be uprooted and planted in the sea” and it would obey you. (LK 17:5-10) I wonder – because of such a strong retort on the part of Jesus – if this isn’t one of the moments of his frustration with the lack of comprehension of his message in those he has chosen to follow him.

St. Paul sounds a bit more placid but just as clear in his exhortation to Timothy: Beloved, I remind you to stir into flame the gift of God that you have through the imposition of my hands. God did not give you a spirit of cowardice but rather of power, love and self-control. (2TM 1:6-8, 13-14) Those three qualities would go far to stir up our faith if we practiced them consciously each day, remembering also the advice of Psalm 95:8: If today you hear God’s voice, harden not your hearts.

All of this advice and urging to faith will surely coalesce in us if we remember the promise of the prophet – a long-ago message that may give hope in our world today where we are always looking for the “quick fix” to our problems and difficult situations. I quote it last so that it will remain as first of what we might ponder today.

The vision still has its time, presses on to fulfillment, and will not disappoint; if it delays, wait for it, it will surely come, it will not be late. (HAB 2:2-4)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Escaping Destruction

25 Sunday Sep 2016

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Amos, dangers, devotion, faith, gentleness, love, Luke, patience, power, riches, righteousness, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy

afeedpoorToday’s Scripture readings are filled with warnings about the dangers of riches and power. From the first (the prophet Amos) to the last (Luke’s gospel) we hear chilling words about those who seek worldly wealth and power and the consequences of being unaware of the needs of others. It is only in the reading from the first letter to Timothy (6: 11-16) that I find some advice for escaping the pitfalls recounted in these texts. It is the first sentence that calls out to our best selves where he names us people of God and tells us to pursue righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience and gentleness. That’s a big order but certain to keep us on the right path. As I think of those words, I see the central two (faith and love) strengthened by the practice of the first two (righteousness and devotion) and flowering in the last two (patience and gentleness). That may sound a bit contrived but it seems to work for me as a plan so today, I’ll think on that pattern and hope for the best!

 

 

 

 

 

Grandparents

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

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appreciation, Bible, experience, grandparents, Lois, perspective, Roman Catholic, St. Ann, St. Joachim, St. Paul, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy, tradtions, wisdom

agrandparent.jpgLong ago when I was baptized the rule was that only saints’ names were acceptable for Roman Catholic babies. Because it was also understood that “the faithful” were to learn about the Bible from the clergy and not their own study (although we were to have a “family Bible” in our homes), not too many people were aware that Lois was mentioned by St. Paul in passing. Did you know she was the grandmother of Paul’s young companion, Timothy? Well, in 1948, Lois was a surprise name choice of my mother so my middle name became more important. It seems ironic now because the name my parents chose was Ann (not Anne, thank you very much!) whom legend says was the grandmother of Jesus, mother of his mother, Mary. So today, the feast of St. Ann (and her husband Joachim, a relatively recent addition to the Church calendar), seems to be about grandparents – mine and yours as well as those of Jesus and Timothy.

I know I have always been proud to carry the name attributed to the grandmother of Jesus and honor her, as tradition would have it, my “patron saint.” I found a lovely comment on http://www.americancatholic.org this morning that seems to fit this feast.  I offer it as a personal reflection for all of us and a reminder of our heritage and what we would hope to pass on to those who follow us in life.

This feast reminds grandparents of their responsibility to establish a tone for generations to come. They must make the traditions live and offer them as a promise to little children. But the feast has a message for the younger generation as well. It reminds the young that older peoples’ greater perspective, depth of experience and appreciation of life’s profound rhythms are all part of a wisdom not to be taken lightly or ignored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got Humility?

26 Tuesday Jan 2016

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each of us is special, God, humility, Lois, Mark, mother. brothers, name, Paul, sister, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Timothy

abrotherThe readings this morning make me smile. It isn’t everyone who gets their name in the Bible, you know. Today (2TM 1:1-8) as Paul is writing to his young disciple, Timothy, he says: “…I recall your sincere faith that first lived in your grandmother, Lois…” Hah! See me special! (my ego says). Then swiftly on the heels of that, I read the gospel (MK 3: 31-35) where Jesus is told that his mother and brothers have arrived and are asking for him. He says in reply, “Who are my mother and my brothers?…Whoever does the will of God is my brother and sister and mother.” So much for my special relationship based in my name. The irony of the lectionary pairing did make me smile, however, and reminded me that each of us is special in our own way to God. That’s a good thing to remember no matter who is in our presence at each moment. Our full attention is required for it is God who desires our time and consciousness and who calls our name as if we were the only person present in the universe. May the joy of that knowledge bless you this day!

The One Thing Necessary

18 Friday Sep 2015

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attitude, evil, Learning to Love, let go, love of money, money, Paul, status, The Sophia Center for Spirituality, Thomas Merton, Timothy

heartmoneyIt is amazing how a word or two can change the whole meaning of a text. I came across an example of that this morning in Paul’s advice to Timothy where he is talking about money. I have often heard that money is the root of all evil. What the text actually says is that the love of money is the root of all evil. (1TM 6:7-12) What a difference that makes! Quite often now we hear in this country about very rich people who are joining Warren Buffett in giving away at least 50% of their fortunes. What a blessing that they have become financially successful but are not enamored of keeping their money to themselves! It seems they have also heard in their hearts what Thomas Merton offers as an expansion of Paul’s advice to Timothy, when he says: “Let go of all that suggests getting somewhere, being someone, having a name and a voice, following a policy and directing people in ‘my’ ways. What matters is to love.” (Learning to Love, 15) So whether we’re rich or poor or somewhere in between, it’s our attitude toward money and status that is important on this journey of life, this opportunity to love.

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