Seize the Day
+ Open our hearts Lord to listen to the words of Your Son. help us to seek You first, last, and always. Give us the humility to accept that our thoughts are not Your thoughts and to ask You what Your thoughts indeed are. Help us to be gracious in the abundant blessing that you give to us independent of what blessings any other has. Amen.
Isaiah 55:6-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord
Is there an area of life where you are wrestling with the Lord right now? An area where you know that God is calling you one way but you are digging in your heals wanting ‘your way’?
God does not call us to live by blind faith and He desires that we desire His will with an open heart. Spend time this week sharing this area with the Lord and waiting for Him to share His wisdom.
Psalm 145
The psalmist describes God as: gracious, merciful, slow to anger, kind, good to all, compassionate, just, and holy.
Spend time with each word and allow Holy Spirit to recall moments when God has demonstrated each attribute with you.
Another way to pray with these words is to reflect on them in light of our own nature. Which of these words is God calling us to live more fully in our present circumstances?
Phillippians 1:20-24, 27 Christ will be magnified in my body
What attributes of Christ does your life magnify (hint: the above list from the psalm is a good start)?
I long to depart this life and be with Christ
Does death cause you fear and anxiety or do you share St. Paul’s perspective of death being the achievement of all he has worked towards, life fully lived with Christ?
I believe that at one point or another in each of our lives we fear dying for any number of reasons. If this is a reality for you right now, spend time with Jesus and tell Him why fear has a hold of you right now. Give Him time to bring His peace into your heart. He has already drawn near just as Isaiah tells us.
Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit
If you are reading this, you are alive, and you share this reality with St. Paul. Your life has purpose. God has a plan for you no matter where you are on the continuum of life.
Who can your life benefit? Where is God calling you to labor?
Matthew 21:1-16 The landowner saw others standing idle
In the Kingdom of God, are you laboring or are you idle right now?
The landowner (aka God) tirelessly returns to bring others into His plan. He comes back 4 times after the initial call. There is a beautiful message here, it is never too late!
Where in your life have you experienced generosity beyond your due? Consider this, your loving Father delights in EVERY blessing He bestows and He does it not because you served Him well, He does it because He loves you.
Have you ever considered that God does not call us to be a part of His kingdom plan because He needs workers? He calls us to His kingdom plan because He has work for you that will give you great purpose and fulfillment.
Forgiveness
Dear Reader, As I prayed with this weeks readings my heart was filled with much hope, inspiration, and anticipation for what the Lord is seeking to work in your heart. Holy Spirit kept illuminating each day what I could bring forth and offer to you so that you in turn could offer it back to the Lord. I encourage you to take your time this week with the following. Perhaps piece by piece giving our Savior and exemplifier of forgiveness time to work the soil. I am including several outside ‘resources’ that Holy Spirit brought to mind that I myself have found profoundly helpful and beautiful. Forgiveness is hard, but when embraced and given to our Lord it is a beautiful gift that we receive in the grace it releases. Trust in our Lord, He seeks only your greatest good.
Dear Lord Jesus,
I ask that your presence, love, and encouragement are felt by each person who enters into Your Word and these reflections. Prepare their hearts oh Lord for the grace and mercy that you seek to bring into their lives through surrendering to your call to forgiveness. Amen.
Before we begin by reflecting on each reading, I would like to include an excerpt from Sr. Miriam James Heidland’s book, Restore…
None of us ultimately wants to live with a hard heart. We might do so, even unknowingly, because we have become used to living that way as an avenue to protect ourselves, but I do not believe this is what we truly want or deeply desire. Forgiveness is not letting someone off the hook. It is not saying that what happened to us did not matter. It is not words alone. It is not pretending things are fine. It is not condoning bad behavior. It is not skipping justice. All of these things keep our hearts hard, in denial, and in the cycle of pain and resentment. Forgiveness is asking Jesus Christ for the grace to forgive. It is relinquishing our grasp upon the person who hurst us, surrendering the person to Jesus and asking Jesus to restore jsutice. It is an acknowledgement of the pain inflicted, how it affected us, an ongoing emotional release of it, and a decision to offer that person and ourselves a gift of love and freedom.
Sirach 27:30-28:7 Could anyone nourish anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?
Where have you nourished anger in your life? What effect has that had on your day/week/year?
Have you felt trapped in the cycle of anger, unable to ‘let it go’?
Have you recognized/realized that unforgiveness closes the door on the healing the Lord seeks to bring into your pain?
Psalm 103 Bless the Lord, O my soul
Can you in the midst of the hurt turn to the Lord and praise Him in advance of the healing He is seeking for you? Reflect with the following song.
Romans 14:7-9 None of us lives for oneself…if we die, we die for the Lord
Have you ever thought of forgiveness as a death to self?
Spend some time on the image of the cross. Spend some time with our Lord and allow Him to show you each moment on the cross that was His death for you, for you from a place of profound love, not condemnation, not shame, but love.
Matthew 18:21-35 I say to you not seven times, but seventy-seven times
After spending time with Jesus, experiencing the depth of His love and the vast number of times He has forgiven you, does seventy-seven still seem daunting? Forgive yourself if this is still a struggle. Take it to Jesus, He is the only one who can grace us this gift.
We forgive because we are forgiven. (Eph 4:32) Sometimes the ease with which we forgive, or the difficulty stems from the human relationships that form our identity. Who in your life has been a “model of forgiveness”. Keep in mind that not all models are good models. We may also have been taught to hold anger.
If the Lord is bringing to mind a beautiful soul who has inspired you with their ability to forgive, praise the Lord for the gift of them in your life, maybe even take the extra step and thank that person for their witness of Jesus!
If your eyes have just been opened to a source of why forgiveness is so difficult, can you ask Jesus to break the effect their example has had on your life? Can you then ask Jesus for the grace to forgive them that example?
The Deep Dive
The following is a forgiveness meditation. Jeff and I have used similar formats in our work with Inner Healing and I have used this time and again in my own life. It is a beautiful way to be guided by our Lord. Find a quiet time where you can give our Lord at least fifteen minutes. The following is taken again from the Restore book by Sr. Miriam (pg 167).
Ask the Holy Spirit to show you whom you need to forgive
Picture the person in front of you and pay attention to what you feel in your heart and body.
Make an account of the debt they owe you. (What did they take fro you? How did they hurt you? It is okay to feel angry, sad, or nothing at all)
Imagine telling them what they did to hurt you and how it has affected you.
Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to you any identity lies you believe about yourself based on this incident.
Renounce any lies the Holy Spirit shows you: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I renounce the lie that I am not loved or cared for, that I have to perform well to be loved”, and so forth.
Announce the truth of your identity in Christ: “In the name of Jesus Christ, I announce the truth that I am seen, that I am valuable, that I am loved” and so forth.
Bring the person wit you to meet Jesus on the Cross at Calvary; look at his face of care and mercy.
Ask Jesus to forgive the person.
Ask Jesus to give you the grace to forgive the person.
Pray a prayer of blessing for that person. Ask God to bless them and heal them on their journey.
Ask Jesus to seal this forgiveness and heal the wounds in your life.
Thank God for his healing mercy and grace.
Finally to close this Lectio Divina out, a closing song that was in fact the first inspiration Holy Spirit brought to me.
Saturday Evening Post
Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath (Lk 6:1-5)
One Sabbath Jesus was going through the grainfields, and his disciples began to pick some heads of grain, rub them in their hands and eat the kernels. Some of the Pharisees asked, “Why are you doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath?” Jesus answered them, “Have you never read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and taking the consecrated bread, he ate what is lawful only for priests to eat. And he also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.”
We have a chapter of Blessed is She at our parish. Blessed is She is a woman’s catholic fellowship group that works through “studies” of different aspects of our faith. For this summer we engaged in a weekly study on the Ten Commandments, one commandment each week. As I read today’s Gospel our Tuesday night meeting comes to mind as we sat in our circle sharing with each other what, “You shall keep holy the Sabbath”, has meant over the years in our individual lives. Our responses were as varied as we are. When I was growing up there was still a sanctity to Sunday. Most stores were closed, we went to Mass, and breakfast included some sort of sweet roll. For many Christians, if the Pharisees were to spend time with us on Sunday they would probably have a stroke. Thankfully we don’t answer to the Pharisees. Jesus also caused the Pharisees blood pressure spikes. He healed the man with the withered hand, He cast out demons, and He allowed His hungry disciples a snack. I have found myself in many different camps when it comes to the Sabbath: It’s a day like any other day, It’s a commandment that we must strive to follow to the letter, It’s almost impossible to follow so don’t try. If you ask a priest or pastor what this means, you will probably get as many answers as people you ask and that only adds to the fuel of the devil’s ploy to distract us away from simple sacred beauty of the Sabbath. Jesus tells us the answer, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus seeks to unburden us from “rules” and to lighten our lives with Himself. Should I shop? Can I garden, because that’s therapeutic for me? Can I go to a restaurant if I hate cooking but that means someone else has to “work”? Jesus tells us the answer to each of these questions, “I am the Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus. What does that mean? I believe it might be as simple as this, what if each Saturday evening Jesus is inviting us to a front porch rocking chair conversation with Him. Jesus is inviting us to share our week with Him. When we share the circumstances of the week with the Lord of the Sabbath, He can help to define our Sabbath one Sunday at a time. Those conversations with our Lord will spark an inspiration for what will really bring us rest and refuel us for the week ahead. The ‘rule’ of the Sabbath is that we give this day to God our creator. Take some time this evening to share your week with Jesus, then be bold enough to ask, “Jesus, what should tomorrow look like for me?” May your Sabbath be blessed, may it refresh you, and may it awaken you to the presence of our Lord. Amen.
Am I my brother’s keeper?
Lord Jesus, you became human, died for me, and rose so that I may have a personal relationship with You and the Father through the Holy Spirit. Help me to understand that having the best relationship with you means being in right relationship with others. Remind me Lord that I do not live in a bubble with you, but as part of Your kingdom family. Amen.
Ezekiel 33:7-9 You son of man I have appointed watchman for the house of Israel; when you hear me say anything, you shall warn them for me…if you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death.
Have you considered that God has entrusted certain people to you to hold firm in the faith?
Spend time in prayer asking the Lord, “Who are you calling me to right now Lord, and what are you asking of me?”
Psalm 95 If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts
There tend to be areas of our lives that we hold back from God, areas that we maybe don’t feel that He belongs or that we do not trust Him with. Today, in your life, what are you holding back? Where is your heart hardened?
Why are you hardened to “your way” in this area? What are you afraid of? Consider whatever that fear is to be a lie whispered by the enemy.
Can you open the door to our Lord even a little bit? In prayer be honest and talk to Jesus about this. It might look like this, “Lord Jesus, I know that I still need to control _____________. Show me why I hold onto this so tightly. Help me to release this to You. Holy Spirit build faith and trust in my heart that I may have the strength to release this too. Amen.
Romans 13:8-10 Love does no evil to neighbor; hence love is the fulfillment of the law.
Evil seems extreme doesn’t it? It can be easy to read this and convince ourselves that we’re “okay.” Think of it this way, evil is the absence of love and love is to will the good of the other. Consider your neighbor anyone who draws into your proximity either directly or indirectly.
Where have you fallen short in willing the good of your neighbor, not just in your actions and words, but also in your thoughts. Perhaps take some time to write those moments down and then ask Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the the effects this has created.
If this makes you feel guilty, uncomfortable, or remorseful, that is okay. Holy Spirit is doing the work of Ezekiel on your heart.
Matthew 18:15-20 If your brother sins against you…
Have you ever considered that Jesus was the OG for conflict resolution? Have you ever used this Gospel as a blueprint for conflict resolution?
We see the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel being tasked as the “watchman” for all of Israel. Jesus now appoints each of us to this same task for those whom God entrusts to us; our circle of influence.
Where in your life has unresolved conflict resulted in broken relationship? God desires to enter into that brokenness and restore the relationship. In prayer, ask Jesus to show you one way that you can reach out in that relationship and begin building a bridge.
Deep Dive: As a way to assist you as you reflect, I am sharing a link below to a very brief but insightful ‘examination of conscience’ based on the 10 commandments that I feel ties in really well with St. Paul’s epistle.
Pray, Discern, Decide
+ Lord God, please send your Holy Spirit to me as I read Your Word. May it be transformed into Your Word for me, my life, my situations. May I thirst for You in Your Word, may it become “like fire burning in my heart; imprisoned in my bones.” Help me to know Your will and to trust that it is “good and pleasing and perfect.”
Jeremiah 20:7-9 You duped me, O Lord, and I let myself be duped
Have you ever felt duped by God? Perhaps confident that you were following a Holy Spirit inspiration or fulfilling His Will only to seemingly have it all go “wrong”?
How did that impact your relationship with God at the time? What perspective do you have now?
What was your immediate response?
“I say to myself, I will not mention Him…but then it becomes like a fire burning in my heart”
Jeremiah tried to ignore God, deny God, protect himself from the consequences of doing God’s will. Have you walked this road? If so, how has God called you back to Him?
Romans 12:1-2 Do not conform yourself to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind that you may discern the will of God.
We exist in this moment in two realities: earthly and spiritual. One is easily defined, perceived, and discerned while the other is built upon the intangible reality of faith, hope, and love. Which world are you more conformed to? Another way of looking at conformity is consumption (not just in the material sense here, remember, two realities). What consumes you and what do you spend your resources consuming?
As you read this and pray and reflect where do you feel that Holy Spirit is pulling you towards? Where is Holy Spirit pricking your conscience and asking you to let go of (even a little is okay)?
Psalm 63 Spend time reading Psalm 63 as a commitment prayer to better conform ourselves to God’s will.
A psalm of David, when he was in the wilderness of Judah.a
O God, you are my God—
it is you I seek!
For you my body yearns;
for you my soul thirsts,
In a land parched, lifeless,
and without water.b
I look to you in the sanctuary
to see your power and glory.
For your love is better than life;*
my lips shall ever praise you!
I will bless you as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands, calling on your name.
My soul shall be sated as with choice food,
with joyous lips my mouth shall praise you!
I think of you upon my bed,
I remember you through the watches of the night
You indeed are my savior,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.c
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
But those who seek my life will come to ruin;
they shall go down to the depths of the netherworld!
Those who would hand over my life to the sword shall
become the prey of jackals!
But the king shall rejoice in God;
all who swear by the Lord* shall exult,
but the mouths of liars will be shut!
Matthew 16:21-27 God forbid Lord!…Get behind me Satan you are an obstacle to me
Where in our lives have we rushed in trying to exert what we thought was “the best” for another and perhaps in fact been an obstacle to God’s will?
Sometimes our “good” intentions do not equal God’s will. We must have the humility to accept the truth of Jesus’ words, “You are thinking not as God does but as humans do.”
Is there a relationship where you have influence,where you are trying to interject “wisdom”? Can you spend some time with God the Father and ask Him to send the Holy Spirit to help answer these questions
God, what is your will for me in this situation? We cannot ask God His will for another, that is His relationship and His conversation that needs to take place with that person. We can encourage that person to pray, seek, ask, and knock themselves though!
God, how can I best be a friend, daughter, father, brother, co-worker to ___________?
+ Jesus, I trust in you, Father, I trust in Your will. I trust you with _________. I give you this situation.
The Sunday Evening Post
That they may know that I am with you…This is how you will know there is a living God in your midst. (Joshua 3:7,10)
How often must i forgive my brother, as many as seven times? I say to you not seven times, but seventy-seven times. (Mt 18)
Remember I am with you always until the end of the age. (Mt 28:20)
The Gospel from Matthew was our daily Gospel last week Thursday. It was one of the days that I attended Mass. As I sat listening to the Gospel I experienced peace. This was a moment of encounter with Jesus in recognizing the good work He has been doing in the field of my heart. Forgiveness is difficult. Amen? Amen! It just is. I believe that ultimately it is difficult because it is impossible for us to truly forgive within our own capacity. Forgiveness requires cooperation with Divine. I have shared that I have been weathering a difficult season of late and forgiveness is one of the virtues that the Lord has invited me to more deeply embody. Virtues are like forgiveness because by nature we grow in them by having to be challenged. We learn humility sometimes by being humiliated. We learn mercy by experiencing brokenness. We learn patience by having our patience tested. We learn to forgive by being hurt. Jesus’ call to 77 felt like a very real road to me earlier this summer. There were several weeks that it felt I could not go 48 hours without insult being added to injury and the Lord asking me to forgive. When I struggle to forgive I have found myself in confession and so this past July I was again in confession admitting holding onto anger and resentment and hurt. I told Father that forgiveness was so frustrating because I felt like I had to relearn it with each injury, it was never getting any easier. Father told me that that frustration was the enemy trying to convince me that I wasn’t ‘good’ at forgiveness and wasn’t making progress. He shared that while it felt as though I was relearning forgiveness, Jesus was taking me to new depths of forgiveness and I was having to adapt to the depth. Jesus has been taking me deeper into the grace. Fast forward a few weeks and I found myself on the receiving end of a great hurt and insult. In the midst of my tears and anger I was able in the moment to separate the person, whom I truly respected, admired, and liked, from what they said. I was able to forgive her almost immediately and be honest with her about how her comments had impacted me. New depths indeed! Praise to you Jesus! Back to daily Mass and this Gospel of forgiveness. Listening to the Gospel for the first time I did not feel the slight sting of failure but the assurance of the grace of growth. During his sermon Father gave me a whole new and beautiful perspective: we are each called to the grace of forgiveness so that we can be Christ’s very real presence to another. Our ability to forgive another brings Jesus present and demonstrates, ‘This is how you know a living God is in your midst.’ Forgiveness is a gift to both the giver and the receiver and the more that we practice it, the deeper we can dive and bring God’s kingdom fully present. Think of the difficult situations you face in your life and from a world view. Imagine what change can come about if each of us strive to cooperate with God’s grace and mercy.
Build my life
Lord God, Heavenly Father, open Your Word to me in new and exciting ways. May I have the passion of Paul and the inspiration of Peter! May I mirror the “yes” of Eliakim and seek your strength and mercy as the Psalmist. Amen.
Isaiah 22:19-23 I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station. On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son on Hilkiah… and give over to him your authority
With baptism, God has given each of us authority and He seeks to work with us to bring His kingdom to others. Each “yes” that we give to the Lord blesses us and others by bringing the Kingdom of Heaven present. Each “no” that we give, sends the Lord to another (and perhaps another and another and another).
Have you ever thought of the nudges and inspirations towards good that you receive as invitations from God as part of His unique mission for you? (it could be as simple as having a friend come to mind and desiring to reach out) What nudges or inspirations did you experience this past week? What was your response? Was it an immediate yes, a reluctant yes, or did you put it on the back burner?
Psalm 138 when I called, you answered me; you built up strength within me
Oftentimes God answers prayer not by changing our circumstance, but by changing us, strengthening us. This is the path to holiness.
Where has God strengthened you? It may be patience, generosity, gracefully enduring pain, resisting temptation/addiction. It may be all of these and more! God is Good, Amen! Spend time with the Holy Spirit allowing Him to show you how much you have grown with His grace.
+ Dear Lord, Thank you for the work of your Holy Spirit. Strengthen within me what remains weak and reinforce where I have grown in strength. May these strengths allow me to say “yes” to your inspirtation with boldness. Amen.
Romans 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God!
Paul is trying to put into words a moment where he fully experiences the awe of God, a moment where his heart and mind are awakened to who God truly is.
What about God awes you? Can you spend some time in prayer and with the Holy Spirit pen your own prayer of praise for who God is to you?
Matthew 16:13-20 Who do you say that I am?
For some, Jesus is wise, and they seek to model their lives on the examples in His parables. For others, Jesus is a healer, and they seek to encounter Him in the midst of physical or emotional adversity. For still others, Jesus is mercy, and they encounter Him in forgiveness, of themselves and others. Jesus is each of these, and so so much more!
Where have you encountered the Lord time and again in your life?
Where in your life are you desiring to encounter Him differently? He seeks you there. In prayer, invite Jesus in to that place in your life and tell Him all about it.
Personal Inspiration: This week as I read through the readings I felt my excitement mount much like Paul. Upon reading the first reading, the words, when he opens, no one shall shut, immediately brought me to the Gospel moment of Peter being proclaimed “The Rock” and Jesus echo to the first reading with, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” This is what I love, seeing the fulfillment of the Old Testament in the person of Jesus! It brings me such hope and awe in the perfect plan of God.
[Pray into it]
God speaks in the silence of the heart. Listening is the beginning of prayer.~Mother Theresa
"When we rely upon organization, we get what organization can do; when we rely upon education, we get what education can do; when we rely upon eloquence, we get what eloquence can do. And so on. But when we rely upon prayer, we get what God can do." ~ A. C. Dixon
"In prayer, it is better to have heart without words, than words without heart. Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin entice a man to cease from prayer. The spirit of prayer is more precious than treasures of gold and silver. Pray often, for prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and a scourge for Satan." ~ John Bunyan
Isaiah 56:1, 6-7 them I will bring to my holy mountain and make joyful in my house of prayer…for my house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
How would you describe your prayer at church?
Often times we can drift in and out of our focus in church. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you one way that you tend to be pulled away from the gift of worshiping in community at church. Now pray and ask Holy Spirit to strengthen you against what pulls you away.
If you have trouble even mustering the desire to go to church, pray that the Lord can infuse you with that desire. God blesses us in a unique way when we worship in community.
Psalm 67:2,3,5,6,8 O God let all the nations praise you
Offer God your top three moments of grace this week as a prayer of thanksgiving.
Where in your week did God show you His mighty wonder? If you have trouble recalling, that’s okay, ask Holy Spirit to share a moment with you.
Deep Dive: Where in your week did the storms of life batter you? Can you take time in prayer to turn those moments of stormy weather into praise: praise for the strength to endure, praise for the opportunity to lean more upon your Heavenly Father, praise for trust that God is willing your greatest good.
Romans 11:13-15, 29-32 Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I glory in my ministry in order to make my race jealous and thus save some of them.
As baptized Christians, each of us are called to “Go out into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” Paul was uniquely equipped by God to preach to the Gentiles. This was his sphere of influence. Our ministry is wherever we are able to influence another to the love of God in the person of Jesus Christ.
Where have you felt drawn, pulled, or a desire to share God with another? Have you?
The next time you feel the pull, recognize that as a Holy Spirit inspiration and step into faith that God wants to use you to help “save some of them.”
Matthew 15:21-28 “Please Lord for even the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table of their masters.”
Have you experienced the grace of an answered prayer that came after much perseverance of prayer? Bring to mind those moments that you waited patiently on the Lord and He provided. Praise God for those moments, hold them close as a promise in future need.
God delights in our prayers when they come from the heart, these prayers demonstrate our trust and faithfulness to Him. If you listen to yourself pray to God, how do your prayers sound to your own ears?
Note how all of the readings emphasize that God seeks us ALL. Everyone. I myself am guilty of making snap judgements about another, even in Mass. Is there someone (or group of someone’s) that you see as less? Can you take time this week to pray for them to receive God’s grace, mercy, and peace? Can you pray this week and ask God to help you to see others as He does?
Stormy Weather
This weeks Gospel is familiar to most people out there. My prayer for each of you this week is to allow the Holy Spirit to open a new perspective in your heart. Don’t just skim over the familiar. There is gold in the deep.
1 Kings 19:9a, 11-13a The Lord was not in the wind…The Lord was not in the earthquake…The Lord was not in the fire… there was a tiny whispering sound
What do you think of when you envision wind, fire, and earthquakes?
If the physical world is often reflected in the spiritual world, what have the wind, fires, and earthquakes of your life looked like? Have you been able to hear God in the midst of the upheaval?
Think on a tiny whisper. If you want to hear a tiny whispering sound what do you need to do? If you have trouble hearing the still small voice of our Lord, how can you spiritually replicate what you have to do physically to hear a small noise?
Psalm 85 Lord let us see your kindness
Heavenly Father, help me to seek your still small voice. Help me to know your care, love, and kindness. Help me to not turn away when the winds blow, my world is shaken, or my plans go up in flames. Help me to stop and be still. Open my heart to listen for your plan trusting that you are building me up and not tearing me down. Amen.
Romans 9:1-5 My conscience joins with the Holy Spirit in bearing me witness
Where in your life do you team up with the Holy Spirit?
To witness is to give your personal perspective. Have you ever asked Holy Spirit to give you His perspective of what troubles your heart? Put another way, have you asked Holy Spirit for the gift of wisdom so that you can get outside your own headspace and get His view?
Where in your life right now are you feeling a pull to do just that? Spend some time waiting for the whisper. Come Holy Spirit Come.
Matthew 14:22-33 “Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water.” He said, “Come.”
Right this minute, Jesus is standing in the deep and He is asking you to “Come.” What step is He asking you to take? (Hint: a lot of times it is a recurring thought towards something good but a little outside our comfort zone)
Ask the Holy Spirit to ‘join with your conscience’ and show you times in your life that you took that step of faith out into the deep. How did it turn out when you did? Does it make you more likely or less likely to follow His next invitation? Ask Holy Spirit for another of His great gifts, faith. We cannot conjure it on our own, but we can ask for it time and time again.
Now in prayer ask the Holy Spirit to share one or two moments in your life where your soul proclaimed, “Truly you are the Son of God.” How did you feel in that moment? When we are being distracted by wind and fire it is helpful to have those moments held close to our hearts that we may remain above the surface.
See, I am doing a new thing in you
I am going to share a moment of God breakthrough that occured several weeks ago in the midst of my airport circling. I was working with a friend who is an artist with her Cricut machine and we were putting together signs for the bake sale I was running for our church car show and picnic. I am sharing this with you now because I am indeed doing a new thing through this blog space. Molly and I were talking about my writing and she too had noted the absence of my writing and inquired about it. I again used the analogy of a plane circling the airport not knowing where to land. I shared that I have been sharing my scriptural reflections for three years now. For the Catholics out there you may realize the significance of this. The Catholic Church cycles through the bible almost in its entirety every three years. By faithfully reading the Church’s daily scripture over the past three years, I too had cycled through the whole bible. One of the thoughts I had in prayer one morning was, “Am I really bringing any new insight to my writing or am I recycling?” With this came a desire to see my blog lead others to their own prayerful reflection of God’s Word. Molly looked at me and jokingly said, “Well would you write me a book that would give me questions to ask myself for the Sunday readings? There’s one out there but it cost $50.00 and I’m cheep.”
Sometimes this is how the Lord works, the key is to learn to recognize the prompt. I told Molly that this was the first time I had caught a glimpse of runway lights. I have no idea if this is the runway God wants me to land on, but I am landing this plane! I am not taking on a whole book at this point. I am doing a soft launch of this idea with all of you and with a focused group of faithful at our church. This idea of reflecting on the readings has a fancy term in Catholic culture, Lectio Divina. I am leading all of you through Lectio, but with the twist of providing you with questions, brief insights, and prayers that the Holy Spirit inspires as I myself work my way through the readings. I am hoping to post these every Wednesday so that you have several days to chew on God’s Word. Below you will find a link to the Sunday readings per the Catholic calendar. I invite each of you to spend time allowing the Lord to speak more directly to your heart. We can gain wonderful wisdom reading or listening to the insights of others, but ultimately God wants us to hear what He has especially for each of us, because He does have a special message waiting for you and your life in His Word.
Daniel 7:9-10, 13-14 His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not be taken away, His kingship shall not be destroyed
What do these words mean to you? Are they a lived reality or do the circumstances of the world rob you of their truth?
The Old Testament is completed in Christ. Do you feel like we have seen the completion of this prophecy yet? In what ways in your own life do you want this to be more of a lived reality, a known truth? God gave these words to you and to me knowing all the times that we would need to lean into their truth.
Psalm 97 The Lord is king, let the earth rejoice
Heavenly Father, help me to declare this with conviction. May this truth make a head to heart connection for me. May You reign supreme in my life that Your reign may bear the fruit of Your peace in my life. Amen.
2 Peter 1:16-19 and Matthew 17:1-9
Read the second reading from 2 Peter, read the Gospel, and then reread 2 Peter.
Do you recognize that Peter’s letter is a conclusion to the Gospel? Jesus orders Peter, James, and John to keep the transfiguration to themselves until after He is raised from the dead. This letter is Peter’s personal testimony to bring others to Christ! Have you ever used personal testimony of an experience with God as a testimony to others? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you times that He has led you to do so.
What is your most compelling story of encounter with God (Father, Son, or Spirit)?
We are called to imitate Christ. In the Gospel Christ is transfigured to show His holiness and identity as God’s own son. Where in your life has the grace of God begun the good work of holiness in you? Where are you seeking greater transfiguration? Take this to prayer with our Father, ask, seek, knock.
Peter’s own transfiguration is revealed to us in these scripture passages. He goes from confused and bumbling, “If you wish I will make three tents…” to convicted and poetic, “You will do well to be attentive to it, as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts.”
Where are you awaiting the morning star? Ask the Holy Spirit to show you ways that He is at work to bring light to your darkened world.
The Lord is King, let the earth rejoice!
Delivered
Today is the feast day of St. Ignatius Loyola. St. Ignatius has given me a bucket list item that I seek to complete: the 30 day silent guided retreat. He is a mentor to many a Christian for his Spiritual Exercises, among them is the daily examine. In a way, I have been on a six week retreat with the Lord. Often I have sought to share with all of you, my struggles, my victories, and all the moments that God broke through in my life. God held my hand back so to speak, asking that the time be one between the two of us. Today I break my six week silence on this blog and I will attempt to bring you my six week examine: Where did I see God at work in my life? Where did I partner with God in my life? Where did I try to push ahead without God? Buckle your seat belts, it has been a very bumpy spiritual ride!
Now Abraham was old, well advanced in years; and the lord had blessed Abraham in all things (Gen 24:1)
The Lord will fight your battles; Be still (Exodus 12:14)
See, the Lord is doing a new thing (Is 43:19)
Several weeks ago a friend commented, “You haven’t posted anything lately.” Cue deer in the headlights. She knows me and she knows my situation and I know that her question was striking deeper, “Are you okay?” My answer to her has been my answer to several people, “I am like a plane circling the airport waiting for the tower to tell me where to land.” I have been living in a season of loss and transition for months now (9 and counting, but whose counting?). In the past five weeks I have felt like a weeble wobble, being knocked down daily by discouragement of one sort or another, popping back up with the Lord in prayer and Mass (a lot of daily Mass), getting knocked down again, sometimes in the same day. Recalculating, recalculating, recalculating. During this same time frame, the Catholic Church was leading us in the daily readings from Genesis to Exodus and I saw the Lord leading me also.
Friday June 30th journal entry…
Fear not Abram! I am your shield; I will make your reward very great. Abram said, “O Lord God, what good will your gifts be?” (Gen 15) As of late I have resembled Abram. I have a sticker that I have placed over my desk, Praise God in the hallway while you’re waiting for the next door to open. Abram is in the proverbial hallway. I’m going to call it the Hallway of God’s Promise. Hallways are by nature the ‘in between,’ we have left one room/area we are heading to the next. In school, hallways were used as punishment, ‘Go stand in the hallway until I tell you you can come back in.’ God is promising that the next chapter of Abram’s life will hold abundant blessing. Abram, like myself right now, sees things very differently from his limited perspective of a windowless/doorless hallway. Abram is honest with the Lord and voices his frustration, hurt, and doubt. God does not smite him, God doubles down and reassures. This has been my prayer life as well. Today God reassures with the Gospel: “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:13). Today this question of Jesus goes to the heart of my hallway situation and it goes to the heart of every situation we find ourselves in. ‘Who do you say that I am?’ (Slap forehead) You’re God! That’s right, You’re God! I may not see the doors or windows in this hallway, that feels like it has gone on forever, but God is God. The question I must ask myself time and time again is, ‘Am I acting like I believe that God is God?’ Jesus offers each of us keys to the Kingdom of Heaven when we live the truth, ‘You are the Christ.’ So I’m going to stop hallway sulking and start hallway praising! Amen! Below is a Litany of Thanks that I compiled as I read back over the daily Psalms for Mass from 6/22 to 6/30.
Litany of Thanks (blog entry 6/29)
I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart in the company of the just. Great are the works of the Lord, exquisite in all of their delights. (Ps 111)
I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall ever be in my mouth. Let my soul glory in the Lord (Ps 34)
O lord, you have probed me, you know me, you know when I sit and when I stand. You understand my thoughts from afar… truly you have formed my inmost being… I give you thanks that I am fearfully, wonderfully made, wonderful are your works (Ps 139)
See you lowly ones and be glad; you who seek God, may your hearts revive! For the Lord hears the poor, and His own who are in bonds, He spurns not. Let the heavens and the Earth praise Him. (Ps 69)
Give thanks to the Lord, invoke His name; Make known among the nations His deeds. Sing to Him, sing His praise, Proclaim all His wondrous deeds. (Ps 105)
Glorify the Lord with me, Let us together extol His name. I sought the Lord and He answered me and delivered me from all my fears. (Ps 34)
Blessed are you who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways! For you shall eat eh fruit of your handiwork; blessed shall you be and favored. (Ps 128)
For those of you in the hallway or in the battle, consider writing your own litany of thanks. After this blog post, often times in my daily journaling I included a list of the things from the previous day that I was grateful for. This helped me to see that God is God and to stand another day in the promise that He would fight my battles and see me safely to the promised land.
Stay tuned, in the coming days I will share more of my journey with the Lord these past weeks.
Unconditional
Who would have thought that my Heavenly Father would decide to give me a gift this Father’s Day! Such is His love! I have been circling the airport this past month, so to speak. I have been faithful to prayer and to writing each morning and waiting. I have been waiting for the excitement to bubble, to feel the familiar prompt of Holy Spirit, “Here, this one, this reflection is one I want you to share.” So today being able to share the following with you is a gift and just as the prompting to share is a gift so too was the waiting. God is teaching me to be true to His inspirations and not force my own. Happy Father’s Day to all the fathers out there!
“As you go, make this proclamation,’The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.’ Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons. Without cost you have received; without cost you are to give. (Matthew 9)
God proves His love for us that in while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5)
I don’t know how many times I have heard Fr. Mark’s sermon on Father’s Day in the 11 years that he has served as the spiritual father to St. Bernard Parish, but given that his time with us comes to an end on June 30th, this will have been the last one most likely. Often times in our own families it takes the maturity that comes with the passing of time to fully appreciate the fathers in our lives (biological, spiritual, Heavenly). This has certainly been the case for myself with Fr. Mark. As the days close in on his departure, I can look back and better appreciate the fruit his spiritual fatherhood in my life. There have been struggles and joys just as with our own families, but I can see the wisdom of my Heavenly Father at work through Fr. Mark to walk me further along this journey of Catholocism. This Father’s Day he shared some beauriful wisdom that speaks strongly to two of the readings we had this weekend. Fr. Mark has a unique gift of being welcomed into the hearts and lives of the young adults. This is often represented in his sermons as he reflects on time spent in the midst of families with young children. Fr. Mark was hanging out with one family and watching the dad practice T-ball with the young son. The young boy was really giving it his all and trying hard to impress his dad. Isn’t that so often the case? Well the young dad in a moment of inspiration shared with Fr. Mark his worry that his son puts too much pressure on himself to “succeed” in order to gain approval, “What can I do to make sure that he doesn’t focus too strongly on my approval?” Father Mark looked at this young man and replied, “Love hime first.'“ You see, God loves us first and unconditionally. God loves us before we do a single thing that brings Him joy. God loves us if we don’t ever try to do a single thing that brings us joy. God loves us first, last, and always. We are called in our earthly relationships to model unconditional love, to give what we have received. “Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give.’ We are loved by a Heavenly Father who gave His Son before we did anything worth that sacrifice of love. “God proves His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” When we reflect on this, when we ask Holy Spirit to allow this truth to make a heart connection, the depth of this love bubbles up and awakens in us anew the awe of God. This Father’s Day I honor the unconditional love that God has demonstrated for each of us. I honor the facets of that love that are reflected in our earthly fathers, present within our families and present within our church communities. I call upon each of us today to spend time with each of our father’s in one way or another. In our time with our Heavenly Father may we ask Him, “Where in my life are you calling me to give without receiving?” Amen.
Celebrate Good Times, Come (On)
Do this in remembrance of Me. Luke 22:19, 1 Cor 11:24
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. James 1:17
On Monday night Jeff and I attended our final class of The Encounter School of Ministry (not to be confused with the Hogwarts School of Witches and Wizardry). This next Monday, we graduate. Each week for two years Jeff has rushed to get home early while I rush to get dinner on the table by 4:30 so that we can leave by 5:00. Our class doesn’t start until 6:00 and it only takes 30 minutes to get there. Anyone who knows us will attest to the fact that we are not “early” people, we are “on time” people. Why the rush then? One of the most beautiful aspects of Encounter that I will miss deeply is that we enter Praise and Worship (led by some truly gifted musicians) for 30 minutes before class. Our Lord established early on with His chosen people, “Lead with Judah.” In Hebrew Judah is a name that means praise, “Lead with praise.” The content of our studies has been amazing, truly life changing for both of us. I believe it has been so because we have entered into “study” after first entering into praise. God does not give arbitrary rules for His own glory but our own benefit, so that our “joy may be complete.” (Jn 15:11). This past Monday one of the songs struck a deep chord of truth.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory. And I realize just how beautiful You are, and how great Your affections are for me. (How He Loves, John Mark McMillan)
On Wednesday as I helped lead Praise and Worship during Wednesday Night Adoration, I led the participants on an activation. I guided the participants to reflect on what is good in their life, anything that is good, and to hold that close to their heart as they more fully entered into the closing song. If it is good, it is from God. On Thursday I attended a “growth” day at the diocese centered on Bishop Rickon’s initiative to enter more fully into his Discipleship Plan’s “Worship Jesus” phase. Bishop provided a “word” that opened my eyes and heart in a new way. “We come to Mass to celebrate the relationship we have with a person, the person of Jesus.” There are a lot of people out there, many of our engaged couples, who just don’t believe or understand why attending Mass is cornerstone. I have often had a hard time articulating what Mass means to me and why it is important for each of us who proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. Bishop gave me the words I have been seeking. We are entering into wedding and graduation season, a season of much celebration. I have thrown a few graduation parties, attended a few more, and weddings are becoming a regular part of our lives again since we head up mentoring engaged couples at St. Bernard. I don’t plan graduation parties for my own benefit. I don’t attend graduation parties or weddings for my own benefit. These are moments in time where I am present to celebrate the people that I have a relationship with and to share a meal with friends and family. Mass is the same. I am not going for me, I am going because He is awesome and I love Him. God started the path of this enlightenment for me on Monday, took me one step deeper on Wednesday, another step Thursday. Each of these moments was precluded with praise and worship. Praise and worship open the door to greater spiritual bounty, think of it as God’s “party favor.” Let’s joyfully accept God’s invitation to the table of celebration. Amen.
Here’s a little something to get the party going…
Hand in Hand
Psalm 87:6
The Lord records as He registers the people; This one was born there
John 10:27-29
My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand.
Acts 11:19-21
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord.
Wowza! When Holy Spirit stirs, Holy Spirit stirs! He has taken me from Game of Thrones to Chris Stefanik this morning! Let me start with Chris Stefanik and his series, The Search. In one episode Chris shares with us a profound powerful truth that is reflected in the single verse from Psalm 87. We are born for greatness, Kingdom greatness. There are many that will voice a desire to have been born in Jesus’ time and space to witness first hand His works. Wouldn’t this faith and believe thing be so much easier! Chris interjects with wisdom and truth. If God had wanted us to be born in biblical times, we would have been born in biblical times. We are not accidental or coincidental, we are providential. God has planted each of us, uniquely made in His image, exactly here for a Kingdom purpose. Imagine the God of all Creation looking down upon our birth and whispering with love, ‘There, Sara has been born this day right there, right where her journey needs to begin.’ I believe that from that day forward the Chess Master of the Universe placed people in my path for me to grow from and for me to help grow, every single day I can choose to be a unique part in His Kingdom Plan. This is profound. This is powerful. This is daunting! Right? Enter Game of Thrones. Please do not judge, my family binged Game of Thrones during the pandemic, and I will be the first to admit that it is not exactly wholesome (understatement!). God can bring good out of all. For those of you who are not familiar, a key role in the kingdom of Kings Landing is The Hand of the King. This is a coveted role of power, trust, influence, and prestige. The Hand of the King is “hand picked” (punny!) by the king himself. It is the one person most trusted by the king to have the interests of the king and kingdom at heart. Our Heavenly Father entrusts us with a share in His Kingdom here on earth but He does not leave us to it alone, He gives us the Hand of the King, Jesus. This is Jesus’ assurance in John’s Gospel that we see fulfilled in Acts. This is our assurance as baptized Christians. God rejoiced on the day we were born, ‘Today my son/daughter was born exactly where I want them to be, to be a part of My kingdom.’ The Master of Chess awaits our move. He awaits our realization that we are an important piece in His big picture of salvation. On the day that this realization dawns on us He will say, ‘On this day, my beloved son/daughter, is exactly where I need them to be.’ We have a unique purpose. We are not alone. Spend some time with the Lord asking, “Lord, open my eyes, ears, and heart to my part in moving Your kingdom forward today.” Amen.
P.S. It seemed appropriate with John 10 to include a picture from our trip to Ireland above and also the song below has been on my heart today so I thought I would share.
Last Words: a fourth perspective
“You too were with Jesus the Galilean…This man was with Jesus the Nazorean… Surel you too are one of them; even your speech gives you away. (Mt 26:69-75)
[Like moths to a flame] Peter is drawn to safety in numbers, in blending in. The charcoal fire is an added incentive: light in the darkness, warmth in the cold, fellowship in the chaos. Peter is lost without the Lord (we will see this time and again in the days following Jesus’ death and resurrection). Peter has lost his North Star, “Where would we go Lord, You alone have the words of eternal life.” (Jn 6:68) Peter is unmoored. I have had the tendency to feel some indignation towards Peter in this moment, becoming one of the crowd, “Blasphemy! Blasphemy! He deserves to die!” Holy Spirit has opened up for me the redemptive power of Jesus’ word for Peter and for each of us. The very fact that Peter was put in a situation where he denied Christ is redeeming. How many others in the Gospel narratives are accused of being Jesus’ follower? None, only Peter. These accusations speak to the fact that Peter stood out as a disciple. Holy Spirit points out that we are each called to be accused by the crowd of following Jesus. We need to be convicted of the Word, the Truth, and the Love of Jesus in our hearts, minds, souls, and beings, so much so that others point it out in some way. Peter had a moment of human weakness, so do we. Holy Spirit revealed love in what many would consider condemnation,
“You will deny me three time.” (Mt 26:34)
These words spoken hours before were not meant to condemn but to save.
Then Peter remembered the word of Jesus…he went out and began to weep bitterly. (Mt 26:75)
Jesus’ words are what pulled Peter back, they reminded him of who Jesus is, they give him the strength to remove himself from the crowd. Jesus’ words give Peter back his North Star. This is what our Lord and Savior wants to do for each of us as well. We will be tried in this life. We will lose our way. We will try to blend in order to fit in. As Christians, we are called to stand out. We can only do this when we have the Lord’s words written upon our hearts.
“Do not be afraid… I am the way, the truth, and the life…I have called you friends… This is how you are to pray…Love your enemy…Blessed are the poor in spirit…Come, Follow Me…This is my body…Let your yes mean yes…Whoever is without sin may cast the first stone…Rise, pick up your mat…I do will it, be healed…Father, forgive them for they know not what they do…I thirst…It is finished… Behold I am with you until the end of time”
Jesus Words call us back time and time again when we find ourselves in the shoes of Peter. Peter’s betrayal is not inspired to be included in the Gospel narratives to shame him or demonstrate a weakness of faith. Holy Spirit inspired its inclusion to inspire and strengthen each of us to hold Jesus’ word close to our own hearts for our own trials.
In the beginning was the Word (Jn 1:1)
Lord I am not worthy that you should come under my roof, but speak the word only (Mt 8:8)
Speak Lord, your servant is listening (1 Samuel 3:10)
Last Words, a third perspective
My God, My God, why have you abandoned me (Mt 27:46)
My soul is sorrowful even to death (Mt 26:38)
In the last fifteen years that I practiced Physical Therapy the average age of my patients was 86 (yes I actually figured that out). Many of my patients were walking that final stretch of road that we call “life.” I have been profoundly blessed to witness those who walk that road in peace and I have been saddened by those who seem to leave this world kicking and screaming. As The Passion was read, the Lord put before me the judgement I have a tendency to place upon those who go out kicking and screaming. I tend to assume that those who lack peace, lack faith. Jesus likes to remind me about that word, “assume” and He does so again. “My soul is sorrowful even to death.” Jesus knows His identity, He is the Beloved Son of the Eternal Father. Jesus, fully God is still fully human. He is the only human in history who knows with certainty what awaits Him at His death. Jesus knows He will be received lovingly into His Father’s arms, the reunion to beat all reunions. And yet, “My soul is sorrowful even to death.” This is a reassurance for each of us who walk this earth. We may fear the suffering that a diagnosis ensures; Jesus carries His own Cross of suffering. We may dread the indignities that too often come with aging, infirmity, and death; Jesus is stripped, spat at, mocked, and forced to carry His own Cross. We may dread and mourn those whom we will leave behind; Jesus suffered the abandonment of all but three and had to say His last words to them with bound hands, “Woman behold your son.” (Jn 19:26) We may fear that God will abandon us; in that moment upon the Cross with the weight of the sin of eternity upon Him, Jesus did suffer separation from the Father, “My God, My God, why have You abandoned Me?” Each step of His passion, with each spoken Word, Jesus speaks volumes to each of us. Death is still difficult even when our faith assures us that we have something far greater ahead. Even in death there is no go around for our Lord, there is only the go through. In His Passion, Jesus takes on the consequences of all sin: separation from God. Jesus gives us a gift that we can carry through our lives. Jesus assures us that He fulfills one of His last promises, “Behold I am with you always, even to the end of time.” (Mt 28:20) In His passion Jesus shows us that it is human to walk toward death with sorrow, but He also assures us that we need never experience that sorrow alone. Today is Good Friday. Consider spending time with the Lord in His Passion, asking Him to open your heart, mind, and soul to the Truth He wants to reveal to you. It’s a beautiful day to spend with the Lord at church if you can, “could you not keep watch with me for one hour?”
Last Words, second perspective
It is the hour traditionally marked by our Lord’s death, 3:00pm (actually 3:30) and I have been dragging my feet. I have spent time organizing for a trip, running errands, picking up dog doo, and planning a seminar for church. I have been like the disciples, scattered. It has been on my heart to write and share this next perspective that I had on The Passion but I have allowed distraction to enter my day. It may also be timidity. This perspective is one that is a little bit of a mind bender, perhaps intended just for my intercessory prayer heart, but it keeps coming forward, so I will follow the prompt.
Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.” Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. “Couldn’t you men keep watch with me for one hour?” he asked Peter. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done.” When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Then he returned to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour has come, and the Son of Man is delivered into the hands of sinners. (Mt 26:36-45)
“Could you not stay and pray with me for one hour?” These are words that I whisper to myself often when I find myself in the midst of spiritual sloth: in the morning when I would like to go back to sleep, when I feel that church is just going to “hamper” my day, when I resent a commitment I have made to serve Christ. “Could you not stay and pray with me for one hour?” I hope that these words will also become engraved upon your heart. As I heard this passage being read on Sunday, a thought intruded, “Why did Jesus check back three times? Why interupt His own prayer?” There is a pattern that is established in these verses. Jesus and patterns are not to be ignored. Jesus tells His disciples that He is in agony, He has told them what is going to happen, He asks for prayer. Three times our Lord goes off by himself and implores the Father to spare the fate of the Cross. Three times He returns to find the disciples asleep. In this moment I imagined Jesus, fully human, acting very human, and perhaps bargaining with God the Father. Perhaps in His prayer, He implores the Father, that the sacrifice is not needed, that becoming human, and giving the world the living breathing example of the life and relationship with God we are all called to is enough. Perhaps He implores His disciples to stay and pray with Him because there is greater power in praying in numbers, “Wherever two or more are gathered in my name…” Perhaps He hoped that if the Disciples loved Him enough they too would fervently ask that God would spare His Son. Jesus came back again and again hoping that what He had already done was enough, but they proved again and again the weakness of humanity and slept. And so after three hours of prayer, our Lord and His Father were set in the Way of the Cross. Man by himself, even with God next to him, is not able to overcome the fall. My second question is answered quickly, “Why didn’t He just stay with them, close by, and keep them awake?” “Free will” is the reply. God does not want us to act out of obligation, but love. Jesus, going off at a distance, allowed the disciples to choose their response. My heart breaks for my Savior every time I read this account. It breaks for the failure of the disciples and it breaks over my own times of failure. I cannot physically go back 2000 years to be “the one” for our Lord, but I can be there for Him in spirit now. Jesus’ moment in the Garden of Olives stands independent of time and space because He is God. When I unite myself to that time and space and spend time in prayer, I can be “the one” who for a moment comforts Jesus and shows Him that what He is about to do is not in vain. Finally, this passage bolsters my firm committment to intercessory prayer. Jesus sets the bar for what we can bring to the Father, the impossible. When we or someone we love are struggling and don’t see a way out, let us unite ourselves in the garden with the Lord. Jesus was unable to avoid the Way of the Cross because His Way of the Cross opened the door for each of us to be redeemed and to call God Father. Jesus didn’t come to simply be a role model, He came to be a Savior. May we honor the Cross daily by going to our Father in prayer, full of hope, trust, and love.
Last Words
Welcome to Holy Week! These past five weeks may have flown by for some and dragged for others. Some may have held strong to their Lenten commitments while others slipped. Wherever today finds you, today is a new day in the eyes of the Lord and we have the opportunity to draw closer to Him as He draws closer to Easter Sunday. We opened this week at Mass with the reading of the Passion. When I was younger I dreaded this past Sunday. So much more standing and a longer Mass, bummer (it was akin to when I would see all the First Communicants lined up). This Sunday, as we stood to read our Lord’s Passion, I asked Holy Spirit to open new intricacies for me. As we progressed I was sorely wishing I had a pen handy to mark up my booklet. God provides. One of my go to books at this time of year is, The Seven Last Words, by Fulton Sheen. There are beautiful essays written that revolve around one of Christ’s final “words” (aka sentences) in His Passion. On Monday as I began rereading the Passion with pen in hand, Holy Spirit showed me seven new perspectives that lie within the reading, my own seven last words from the Lord. Today I will share with you the first. I am including a link to the Passion reading, please consider spending some time in prayer with it this week.
When it was evening, He reclined at table with the Twlve. And while they were eating, He said, “Amen, I say to you, one of you will betray me…It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” (Mt 26:21, 24) Immediately he went over to Jesus and he kissed him. Jesus answered him, “Friend, do what you have come for.” (Mt 26:49-50) Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done. He returned the thirty pieces of silver… “I have sinned in betraying innocent blood.”… he departed and went off and hanged himself. Mt 27:3-5)
We start with a prophetic word from Jesus, “one of you will betray me.” Judas’ fate was not sealed the moment he dipped his bread with Jesus, it was not sealed when he accepted 30 pieces of silver, it was not even sealed when he handed our Lord over. I believe that Jesus, ever merciful and seeking to lose none the Father gave Him, was reaching out again and again to save Judas on this night. I believe that in uttering this prophecy, Jesus was trying to assure Judas that He knows what needs to be done, that He accepts what needs to be done. Jesus was trying to save Judas the fate of the second prophecy, ‘It would be better for that man if he had never been born.” Jesus’ own words to Judas later are the key to this revelation, “Friend, do what you have come for.” Friend. Jesus called Judas “friend,” still. This was not a word used in sarcasm, anger, betrayal, or judgement. This was a word used in love and forgiveness. I imagine Jesus silently imploring Judas to believe those words, to remember Jesus’ ministry of forgiveness of sins, “I came for mercy, not sacrifice.” We get a peak into the heart of Judas later in the Passion, “seeing that Jesus had been condemned, deeply regretted what he had done.” This tells us two things. First, Judas didn’t fully realize what the outcome of his actions were; he knew Jesus to be innocent as only the Messiah can be, and never expected the outcome of condemnation. If he had, he would never have regretted his decision. In that moment perhaps Holy Spirit was breaking through by lifting the curtain and revealing his guilt with the awakening of conscience. If we look at how Judas responded to the outcome of his actions, his despair becomes all the more tragic. Judas deeply regretted his actions, he confessed his sin, and he attempted to make reparation by giving back the silver. If Jesus had been standing there what would He have done? Jesus would have done what He he did for the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, and the man who was lame, and Peter after the resurrection. Jesus would have forgiven Judas. Judas’ damnation, predicted by Jesus, was not the result of betrayal, it was the result of despair. Judas couldn’t be healed by Jesus’ forgiveness because Judas couldn’t forgive himself. Let’s take a lesson from Judas. Jesus forgives. When we acknowledge our failures, repent our shortcomings, and try to be better, Jesus forgives. In my own life and in the conversations I have with others I recognize time and again the wound that remains when we cannot forgive ourselves. Spend some time with Jesus today. Ask Him, “Jesus, where am I hurting because I won’t forgive myself?” Then ask Him, ‘Jesus will you help me to forgive myself?” We can’t do it on our own, we must lean on the Cross of our Savior.
Five Funerals and No Weddings
They pressed into service a passer-by, Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country, the father of Alexander and Rufus, to carry His cross. (Mk 15:21)
They were looking for Jesus and saying to one another as they stood in the temple, “What do you think? That he will not come to the feast at all?” (Jn 11:56)
But if I do them, even though you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in me and I am in the Father. (Jn 10:38)
Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him. (Jn 11:45)
This past Friday was a whirlwind. I started my day traveling to Chicago for the funeral of Uncle Jim (my fifth funeral this year) and finished my day leading a retreat at church on The Stations of the Cross. Heading into prayer these next two mornings, Holy Spirit converges the two. During the retreat, the above passage regarding Simon of Cyrene is part of the fifth station (the Stations of the Cross are a walk through Christ’s passion and death broken up into 14 “stops” of reflection). For our retreat we reflected on the witness that Simon was to his sons in this moment and then invited the participants to “Pause for a moment, and think of who is observing you- who is close enough to you to see if following Christ has changed you for the better?”
These days when you attend a funeral in church it is sadly apparent that there is a large percentage of people who find themselves in unfamiliar territory (at church). I imagine that there are those in the “crowd” who stand in church witnessing this funeral wondering where Jesus is. “Will He show up?” As I sat in church my attention was drawn again and again to the front pews of church where Uncle Jim’s five children sat (4 daughters, one son). Their grief was apparent but in the midst of that grief, Jesus was present as well. During the Mass at one time or another each of my cousins had that moment of grief, the one that breaks through the surface of their heart and presents for all to witness. And each time a sibling was ready with a hug and encouraging word helping their family member through grief. Jesus was in those hugs, hand holds, and whispers. Jesus is always present in love, and my Uncle Jim taught each of those kids what love means. In his fatherhood, Uncle Jim witnessed Christ. Each time I had the honor of watching Uncle Jim with his kids it was evident that he was a good, good father. Uncle Jim worked until he was at least 80! He did this not simply out of love of work (which he had) but necessity. He sacrificed his life for his kids; helping to put them through college and seeing them off into their own families through weddings. Five children in and of itself is a sign of God’s love! When you really think about it, the sacrifice that children call upon the lives of the parents only makes sense in the context of our God: The Father’s sacrifice of His only Son, and the Son’s sacrifice of His earthly life, not for themselves but for us, their adopted sons and daughters. My Uncle Jim’s last stand on earth came in his last Rite of Christian Burial. In the context of the Mass, Uncle Jim pointed to Jesus upon the cross as each of his children greeted each mourner with gratitude, joy, and love; as each child filled the pews and comforted each other; as each child took turns tending to their mother. There may have been those present who thought that church empty of a Savior, not able to see with the eyes of faith the Savior that makes himself present in the Eucharist. I pray that they were able to see Jesus Christ risen in the love of a good father expressed through the love of his children. We enter Holy Week today. Where is the Lord asking us to be Simon of Cyrene? Where can we take up the Lord’s cross and witness Him to others?
Called Out
The Death of Lazarus
11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”… “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.”…When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home. 21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.”23 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.”24 Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26 and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”27 “Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him…32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?” 38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
Lent is a time where our Lord Jesus stands at our tombs and calls us out. We are in one way or another spiritually asleep and Jesus wishes to enter into this season and awaken us. As I allow myself to ‘enter in’ scripture, I see time and again moments where our Savior relives His earthly moments in my own life.
“Lord, if You were here…”
How often is this my prayer in times of difficulty? It may sound more like, “Where are you in this Lord?” or “Why didn’t You answer my prayer?” or “I just don’t understand God’s will for me right now.” Faith exists in those words, “If you were here…”, faith that we believe God can do anything. These words of faith can reveal a chasm in our knowing and understanding of our Savior.
"I am the way, the truth, and the life…do you believe this?”
Believing that Jesus is the way, truth, and life calls us to understand that His way is not always going to be my way.
For my ways are not your ways
Jesus does not conform to me, I must conform to Him. I must walk with Him day in and day out and allow Him to show me the Father’s glory. I am slowly learning to do this, slowly. Jesus, I trust in you. Jesus I trust that You are here with me now, that You are going to see me through to the other side of this. I trust that the reason I am not getting my way in this moment is so that You can be glorified even greater in Your way. “I believe that You are the Messiah, the Son of God.” Each Lent is an opportunity for me to spend time in that inner room with Jesus and look at my life: my wants, my dreams, my relationships, my struggles, my pain. Where in that list am I laying in the tomb of My Will? Where am I being called by Jesus to show me His Will and His Glory? Where is Jesus calling me out to be more fully alive? Jesus calls me time and time again; each time that I allow Him to, He has indeed shown me the glory of the love of His Father who always hears Him. We have two weeks left in lent. We may be thinking that it is too late, that there is too little time to really experience profound change. Let the words of our Savior encourage us to answer His call…
When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” 26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:25-26)