The Good Life

Luke 19:41-48

          Even if Jesus had not been the son of God, he surely was, at the very least he was a wise, leaned and holy man. I mean, every day he was teaching in the temple. What I find so sadly disturbing is that at the same time he was recognized as a holy man, the chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him. Yes we love to hear him speak, yes we we are spellbound by what he says and oh, yes, we'd simply love to kill him? What ??

          Have we learned anything as people, as faithful people? as humans?  Yesterday one of the earliest reports about 'black friday' was that a man had been stabbed in the early mourning bargain melee at a shoppers mall, not too far away. A friend posted it on FaceBook and I had to comment (with intense sarcasm ) that ' I am glad to see people are getting into the holiday spirit so early this year'. 

          Have we learned anything? On yet another FaceBook posting, there were incremental postings of pictures about PTA meetings, voter locations on election day and black Friday. Which picture was most ( and least ) crowded? 

        Where are the priorities in our life?  We mouth one thing as the Jewish elite did about Jesus. We love him ( but we hate him ). Not too different from "Keep Christ in Christmas" and then ruining family time on Thanksgiving to get a great deal and battle crowds in the wee hours of Friday morning, if not on Thanksgiving evening itself. 

        I am not one to explain how everyone else is a hypocrite ( except me ).  My heart actually warmed when in 1973 was I speaking about the topic of hypocrisy with my Dad and he noted matter of factly "Aren't we all?". It's true. But that statement does not excuse us as humans or individuals from living the malaise and malicious lives we seemed to have lived even way back in Jesus' time?  Shouldn't there be some growth? 

         Shouldn't there be more personal atonement and a call to action on our parts to live out our professed beliefs? Can we legitimately spend the time and money we do on the holidays ( Holydays ), celebrating the birth of our Lord while 'killing' people in the streets, literally and figuratively all season long? This then is a call t action, it is not too late.  Amazon ships books on spirituality overnight, a decision to pray at the dinner table each night in Advent is easily accomplished and we can all easily asses how we are progressing on our journey wholeness and happiness and living the good life God intended for us. Hint, the Good Life has almost nothing to do with material stuff.

         

           

As he came near and saw the city, he wept over it, saying, ‘If you, even you, had only recognized on this day the things that make for peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. Indeed, the days will come upon you, when your enemies will set up ramparts around you and surround you, and hem you in on every side. They will crush you to the ground, you and your children within you, and they will not leave within you one stone upon another; because you did not recognize the time of your visitation from God.’

Then he entered the temple and began to drive out those who were selling things there; and he said, ‘It is written,

“My house shall be a house of prayer”;

but you have made it a den of robbers.’

Every day he was teaching in the temple. The chief priests, the scribes, and the leaders of the people kept looking for a way to kill him; but they did not find anything they could do, for all the people were spellbound by what they heard.

Thank you very much ! - Brenda Lee Johnson

1 Thessalonians 5:12-24

          I don't know why, but my husband and I love hearing the character Brenda Lee Johnson from The Closer say "Thank you very much". The accent portrayed from an actress who sounds nothing like her in real life and drips with both sincerity and sarcasm. We love it when we hear the phrase inevitably come out. And it is therefore heard within our own hallowed walls as well. 

       Thanksgiving is an interesting concept. It seems to convey our bifurcated belief that we are thankful for all the good things in our life and at the same time believing we are pretty much responsible for everything good in our life, somehow from our own merit, deeds or actions. An interesting dichotomy. I'd hate to get into a discussion about how God provides for us, not being one who adheres to 'direct intervention'.  Still, I believe that God does give us all good things in one way or another. Today is a day when we should take stock everything in between, driving, eating, watching football and eating some more. 

         After the last few weeks (months?) we have had here with perf'd appy's and aortic aneurysms, it seems especially appropriate that we give thanks. It isn't so much that I think we have to make some grand gesture either. We don't need to entertain a whole host of people with a multitude of dishes, desserts and a huge bird. That kind of 'thanks'giving almost becomes meaningless if not obscene.

         If 'Thank you very much" is to take on any meaning and sincerity to me it must be connected to thanks, service, simplicity and God. The list of things to be thankful for starts at home with my most wonderful husband, to my man GLC, to my kids and grandkids, to physical settings, job, friends, the ability to function and love, to see things and hear people and onto the ultimate thanks, being alive.

         If you look up "Eucharist" in "the Google" you get quite a variety of results but primarily geared towards a Sacrament of the church.  In truth this sacramental name comes from the Greek word, Eukharisteo ( is the usual verb for "to thank, to be thankful" ). Do we have the presence of mind and the time to say thank you to God for the gift of Himself / Herself to us? Do we fully appreciate the giftedness of our very self to the world? Can we say "thank you very much" without any hint of sarcasm or  sense of entitlement?  

         Just some Thanksgiving thoughts on this glorious day.

But we appeal to you, brothers and sisters, to respect those who labour among you, and have charge of you in the Lord and admonish you; esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Great expectations

Luke 18:35-43

          I love the part of this passage that relays that the blind man, after attempts to silence him, speaks out even louder. It is rich on so many levels. First in mind is being able to realize how worthy we are and the chutzpah we should have to stand up and shout out to God for ourselves. Secondly, since a blind man would be marginalized and considered blind by virtue of sin, this guy stands up anyway and shouts louder in spite of what people may be thinking or judging.

           

          There is a fine line perhaps between expecting everything you pray for and on our own terms no less, a spoiled child night have that expectation. Hopefully as adults we have a a more reasonable or broader view of how our prayers are answered. That is, not always on our own terms and in ways that often blows our mind or points to the bigger picture and wider wisdom of our creator.

          Still, stand up and shout, we deserve it, God wants us to have all His good graces. We are heirs to eternal life and eternal happiness in Him. Don't let anyone telly you otherwise, no matter what 'they' may say.

As he approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. When he heard a crowd going by, he asked what was happening. They told him, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.’ Then he shouted, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Those who were in front sternly ordered him to be quiet; but he shouted even more loudly, ‘Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Jesus stood still and ordered the man to be brought to him; and when he came near, he asked him, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’ He said, ‘Lord, let me see again.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Receive your sight; your faith has saved you.’ Immediately he regained his sight and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, praised God.

It's "abomnation!"

1 Thessalonians 5:1-11

         There is an episode of Star Trek where the crew encounters a creature called a "Horta". There is one Horta that is guarding a cave full of silicon nodules (Horta eggs) which hatch once every ten thousand years.  Can you imagine if all humans reproduced and gave birth once a year at the same time? The screams would rival that of the cosmic cries from Vulcan as it was destroyed. Ok, you'll have to be a trekkie to get that but it goes to my point. We in fact do not reproduce and give birth at the same time. It seems an absurd notion. Births, like unceasing prayer happen at every moment of the day all over the world.

         You just never know when it's coming, those pangs of birth.  Such is life. There isn't very much that happens on a schedule we would like to depend on. The weather, falling in love, death and even the railroad does not seem to obey any rules about timeliness.  

         According to this passage we are to be sober and stay awake. What does that mean? Never drink? Some might conclude that but I think everything in moderation is a better answer. Such strict rules and never drinking is to not to enjoy a gift that man has created from God's gracious gifts, but I digress. Being sober also means being marked by seriousness, gravity or solemnity. Life is serious. As much as my motto is "work hard, play hard, pray hard", we cannot play all the time. Again, balance. 

         What we have to do is be serious (sober) about our mission, our goal, our calling, our faith, our love. We do not know when our time will come. A man fights 3 tours in Afghanistan only to come home and be killed in a car accident. How do plan for something like that? We just never know the time of things. 

         If having a ripening aortic aneurysm has taught me anything, it is how serious it is and how serious I should be about the possibility of meeting my heavenly reward (or punishment as the case might be). Each moment of the day should be met with a soberness. I'm not talking about a seriousness of the "preacher" screaming about "abomnations!" in Times Square yesterday. That kind of serious seems seriously stupid. I am talking abut a constant awareness  of living, being present to what is going on around you and within you. That's a kind of sobriety that elevates your life, help you appreciate life and makes you prepared to meet your maker whenever that comes.

       Today I pray that I will be granted a much longer life and a life in which I can earnestly (soberly) be present to the love of God all around me. See what happens when you try it.

Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers and sisters, you do not need to have anything written to you.

For you yourselves know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.

When they say, "There is peace and security," then sudden destruction will come upon them, as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and there will be no escape!

But you, beloved, are not in darkness, for that day to surprise you like a thief;

for you are all children of light and children of the day; we are not of the night or of darkness.

So then let us not fall asleep as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober;

for those who sleep sleep at night, and those who are drunk get drunk at night.

But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, and put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.

For God has destined us not for wrath but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,

who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep we may live with him.

Therefore encourage one another and build up each other, as indeed you are doing.

Prayer without ceasing

1 Thessalonians 5:13-24

          When I think of prayer without ceasing as today's passage speaks of, I think of my time in the Seminary. Even with our limited time there, we arrived early in the morning for morning prayer and we stayed until it was time for evening prayer. The command to pray without ceasing led to the practice of The Liturgy of the Hours or simply 'the hours'.  Roughly, there are many specific periods during the day that are dedicated to prayer and since the faithful do this all over the globe, there is unceasing prayer around the world (considering time differences) to God. My daily blog entries are based loosely on readings from the hours. 

         I am not nearly as attentive to the hours as I once was but I still get up at 3am to pray, meditate and write. I like to think I am attentive during my workday to prayer and listening to God by virtue of the people I interact with. I have to say without reservation though that yesterday was a day when every moment seemed focused in prayer.  I suspect the upcoming days will make it more acute. As I approach the clipping of my aneurysm and as I left work, I was aware of every conversation, every glance at a picture, every smile, every hug. Every function was nuanced with the fact that my time here could very well be quite limited.  We all know that but yesterday it was omnipresent. 

          Although I have an excellent surgical team, a great anesthesiologist and great support staff that will work on me, I know my life truly is in God's hands.  The admonishments in this reading are right in front of me with every breath I take, every word I speak and every sight I see.   This may seem like a rehash of an entry from  last week but I clearly am super sensitive to my situation and it is helping me to be more appreciative, closer to God and honestly I feel more alive than I thought possible under the circumstances. 

         There is a supreme joy in loving someone like I love my husband, my family and my cat. There is a vibrancy to spin class, biking, hiking and tennis. There is a sublime nature to indulging in the exquisite dining which we get to occasionally enjoy.  There is also a part of me, and think all of us, that is elevated by the presence and awareness of our creator in our midst. So often we don't feel it or rather, we are distracted from it, but to be in touch with God at this vulnerable time is yet another true blessing. No matter what the outcome.  

        I AM truly blessed. There isn't enough that can be said about living life trying to be present to everything you do with a full awareness that God is there also. In so doing every action is a prayer, our lives are elevated to a higher plain of existence. It is unceasing prayer and it allows us a glimpse of Jesus' dual citizenship of being fully human and fully Devine. We can catch a glimpse if you will of our own dual citizenship, fully human with a promise as heirs to eternal life. Joyous.

esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves. And we urge you, beloved, to admonish the idlers, encourage the faint-hearted, help the weak, be patient with all of them. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. Do not quench the Spirit. Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; abstain from every form of evil.

May the God of peace himself sanctify you entirely; and may your spirit and soul and body be kept sound and blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do this.

Guided by the Spirit, being true to who you are.

Acts 20:28-32

          The secret is out, I work for the government. Ok, I'm no spy. I in fact work a somewhat boring workaday job that I have been at for about 35 years now.  It's honest work and my goal, our goal, is to give the best possible care to our patients. We do an excellent job if I do say so. Early on in my tenure though, some typical government issues reared its ugly head. Issues like abuse of sick time and doing the best job possible as opposed to just doing the minimum.  Practical matters for sure but ones that highlight today's passage for me.

          Work for the government, as with any place, requires that you do the best you can, not for anyone except for yourself. If others are abusing sick time, I didn't because it is not who I am. It is not how I operate.  If others do the bare minimum, that isn't me either. I did the best I could for my own sake because I felt it was what God wanted me to do, it cooperated with my internal moral compass and it was best for the patients (and taxpayers) whom I am serving.  Simply put, you have to be true to yourself and your conscience.

            In today's passage,  Jesus speaks about 'wolves among us' and some who 'distort the truth'.  It seems pretty clear to me how this has happened time and time again within the Roman church and continues today. I should add, and in many other churches as well. Some seem worse than others. But Jesus also speaks a 'message of grace' that is able to build you up.

            When the lunacy and heresy of what is being done to so many religions today, it is imperative that we focus on the Spirit of God and our conscience. We need to live holy lives and do what is right because it is what God wants us to do, it is what we have to do to be true to our selves and who we are. This may very well fly in the face of what organized religion says because in many instances those religions are the  wolves among us and the distorters of the truth.  This type of 'conscientious objector' may be the true silent majority.

                 Live according to the precepts Jesus gave us and the Spirit guides us in. That is often not what the church is saying, it may not be what a lot of people are doing. Let your (informed) conscience be your guide.

         

Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son. I know that after I have gone, savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Some even from your own group will come distorting the truth in order to entice the disciples to follow them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to warn everyone with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the message of his grace, a message that is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all who are sanctified.

Death and taxes

John 21:15-17

          They say the only two requirements in life are death and taxes. Perhaps a bit pithy, it could be expounded on at length. We all know we will die one day but why must we pay taxes? Then comes a discussion about communal responsibility, being a part of something greater that simply ourselves, yada, yada, yada.

           When Jesus asks Simon (Peter) 'do you love me?' a similar concept comes to mind.  There may be advanced theological treatises on the meaning of this passage and the image of Jesus asking Peter 3 times when Peter soon denied Jesus 3 times. All that is well and very good to study and know but there is a much simpler message.

            Just as being a citizen of a country or city or town requires you to pay taxes out of your social responsibility, so too must you 'feed the sheep' , 'feed my lambs' and 'tend my sheep'. If we profess to be a faithful person or if we are aware of just how blessed we are by God, we then have a duty or a calling to share our good graces.

             Some are quick to be worldly about it, perhaps practical and say that is what is Biblically called the 'tithe'. The first ten percent of your income should go back to God. That would be a separate discussion for me. I would argue more that being faithful and grateful requires us to love more than just ourselves and our inner circle of friends and family. We are called to love, care for and embrace all of God's children, all of God's creation. That is the tending and feeding in my mind. 

         So as sure as death and taxes, we are called as citizen's of God's created world, to love and embrace in more than just monetary ways. 

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my lambs.’ A second time he said to him, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ He said to him, ‘Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Tend my sheep.’ He said to him the third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love me?’ Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, ‘Do you love me?’ And he said to him, ‘Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed my sheep.

Shine forth

Matthew 5:13-19

          When I read the line of today's passage  "A city built on a hill cannot be hidden" , all I could think of was lighthouses. On this island in the Atlantic we have several lighthouses and so their presence lends a great deal to thoughts and what they are for. 

          Not unlike the light of Christ or the light inside each one of us, lighthouses shine forth for all to see, beacons of hope, guiding us on our journeys.  The light of a lighthouse can be obscured by fog  but its' light is meant t cut through all the bad weather to guide people safely in their travels.

           The light of Christ s like that too.  We can try to obscure it, we can even forget about it at times by our obsession with worldly matters and materials goods, but the light remains shining through for each one of us. And one of the funny things about light and especially God's light, is that is seeps in everywhere. It cannot be stopped, it penetrates and seeps in everywhere.  

            In Godspell the song goes on, 'you are the light of the world'.  Sometimes we need to remember that. We may have doubts or forget, but we need to be reminded that we are the light of the world and also that God is our guiding light. Just a quick thought for this fine day. 

          Shine forth children of God, shine forth!

          

‘You are the salt of the earth; but if salt has lost its taste, how can its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything, but is thrown out and trampled under foot.

‘You are the light of the world. A city built on a hill cannot be hidden.No one after lighting a lamp puts it under the bushel basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.

‘Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfil. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

MInd your own beeswax

Matthew 20:1-16

           The Judgements that we are make are quite enormous. The judgements we make are quite arrogant, simple minded, biased, sweeping, unloving, unwarranted, petty and certainly not of God.

 - even if we proclaim that they are. I can look at today or look back in history for any array of proclamations, wars and social constrictions that proclaim ( in the name of God ) that we are saved and you are not.

           Today there is a a battle between good and evil as we see it. The rabid and judgemental ( in their own right ) who are fundamentalist, hateful Muslims. Their goal is to cleanse the earth of infidels and proclaim and install an ancient, slanted and myopic view of their religion. Their judgement is that they are God's chosen ones and their view is supreme.

           In the United States there are similar religious fundamentalists ( Christian ) who judge and proclaim that theirs is a Christian country and that everyone else is not saved, going to hell in  a hand basket and risking the fires of hell.

          The Roman church quite ironically viewed indigenous Americans and Africans as less than human and lacking souls. That was the judgement and view.  In fairness, not all Christians or Catholics believed that but it was the hierarchical view and judgement, the view that dictates policy and official beliefs. The saved were those in the Church that were of a white, European and of a male persuasion. What is terribly ironic in that alone is that Jesus himself would more resemble a Arab that anyone else. Jesus would be short, olive skinned and dark not the blue eye blond hunk Jesus become in Hollywood.  

           Back in the good old US of A, the current struggle is for marriage equality. The judgement of some is that the Bible tells them so, marriage equality just ain't so.  Not unlike the Muslim fanatic using the Koran, the Bible is used out of context, misread, misinterpreted, selectively read and used to support a narrow minded vision of marriage. In fact, it would be revisionist history, perhaps not at it's worst but revisionist none the less.  The judgements are legion and certainly has little to to do with Godliness and the love we are called to witness to.

        This seems like a tirade I suppose. What kind of reaction did some of the workers in today's passage have when the landowner ( How appropriate, God is the landowner ) gave equal wages to everyone?  

        It seems like an incredibly perfect metaphor for life. We are all made in God's image and asked to be the best we can be. We are called to do the most with what we have been given. We are to use our opportunities to love the best we can. Then and only then, GOD will make the judgements about who is worthy and who is not. Perhaps some of those vineyard workers worked lazily even for the few hours they were asked to work. That would be reason for the workers to rant, wouldn't it?  Except that even in that scenario the workers are deciding who put out the 'right' amount of effort.  GOD is the only one to judge. When we judge, we look at life with a jaundiced eye and can never rise on our best loving day to the love, compassion and healing of God our father. Nope, we simply cannot judge.

         So are we to be mindless zombies, working and not judging?  No, certainly not. The work we 'toil' at is not a job. The work we toil at is love. If we love as best we can, I am confident that we we be paid in full. Never mind about anyone else, you will be paid in full.

‘For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market-place; and he said to them, “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same.And about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them, “You also go into the vineyard.” When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, “Call the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to one of them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?” So the last will be first, and the first will be last.’ 

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Labyrinthine living

       

           Yesterday I walked the last formal labyrinth walk at one of my favorite places. The Friary I had fallen in love with is being closed and sold. Older demographics and fewer new monks.  I cannot help but think of  some of the memorable labyrinth walks I have made from my very first to the present.

          I was on a retreat with my fellow seminarians when I was introduced to the labyrinth at the retreat house. It was a concrete walkway with millions of loose pebbles in between that circuitous concrete path. I began to walk without instruction and almost immediately went back inside to find a broom. The Felix Unger in me wanted to clean the pebbles from the path. As I walked slowly sweeping pebbles along the way I had a revelation. Part of my journey in life as well as the labyrinth walk itself was to shed myself of unwanted and undesirable traits. If I could make the walk a self assessment I could move forward in my life. Sweeping the pebbles off the path became a metaphor for my life. It was so great to get to the center with a clean path behind me. The return walk though, revealed some pebbles that had escaped my attention. I either missed them with the broom or I did not see them. How true it is that no matter how you improve and challenge yourself, there is more to do. There are always pebbles to be addressed. That was my first walk. I was in love with the labyrinth.

         On another retreat at the same venue I was challenged to view the labyrinth walk in a different way. I would enter the labyrinth at "today". At each corner or turn I would pause for a previous event in time, at a previous event in my life that stood out or might warrant some reflection. I would continue to walk 'back in time' reflecting on events even as I was a child until I reached the center of the labyrinth. The center would be my presence with God as He conceived me. The point in time before my human conception, the point when God said to himself that it was I that world needed. When I reached the center of the labyrinth on that walk I was physically shaking and emotionally raw, in tears and overcome by the presence of God.

           Last night I walked with the ever present knowledge that my ripening aneurysm could burst at any time. As I walked this labyrinth I paused at corners and faced the center (my representation of the presence of God), viewing perhaps when I might now or soon meet my maker. What I realized as I walked is how close I would come to the presence of God in my walk (my life journey) and then moments later be farther away. It was a beautiful walk.  Some of the time was spend reminiscing about previous walks on this same path when I was trying to deal with some major issues in my life. The take away thought then  (as now) was "be not afraid". Indeed, I was humming Be Not Afraid by the monks of the Weston Priory during much of the walk.

             When I think about some of the other labyrinths I have walked in recent years, Chartre and and at little country churches here on this little island, I know that these simple paths where I meander bring me closer to to an understanding of myself and closer to God.

             Of the many forms of prayer we know, I find that the Labyrinth is one of the most enlightening, transportive and productive.  There are lap labyrinths and pocket labyrinths and all help us to dealve deeper into our own soul and into the mind and all embracing nature of our creator. That is, peace and love.

words with meaning

Luke 14:25-33

         'Oh, we must do lunch, I'll have my people call your people'.  Or, 'we simply must get together, I'll call you'. It's almost an acceptable social lie isn't it? You don't expect to get a call. You never get together and really, you never intended to. It's lip service.

          When I taught religion classes many years ago, I noted that a majority of the parents whose children I taught never went to church at all. That didn't make them bad people necessarily. It was as if they really didn't want to be bothered with religion but also didn't want to make a formal disconnect or an outward sign of disbelief, so they sent their kids to class. Sort of like hedging your bets.  I'm not quite sure if it rises to the level of being passive aggressive.

            When you make a decision to do something or if you believe in something strongly enough, you move forward with it. You don't for example say you are concerned about the homeless and then sit back and down a beer and forget the whole matter. Homeless who?

In marriage you don't say I love you to someone and then totally disrespect them, beat them or cheat on them. If you love someone, you act in a manner that backs up your words.

            In today's passage we have some of their contemporary examples using building a house and waging war. You don't say I'm going to do 'X' and not plan, and not do. Actions follow words and beliefs.

            If you say you are a follower of Christ or simply a holy person of any kind, your belief has to be followed out in your actions. Hence, carrying your own cross. Our crosses are as unique as we are. If we are faithful Christians we have to pick up our crosses and we have to live, actively live, our love.  You can see the Dalai lama is a holy person. The same can be said for mother Theresa. Can you imagine them spewing a tirade of obscenities? No, never. It is totally inconsistent with who they are and what their beliefs are.  What do you think when you hear of a televangelist that is surrounded by great material goods and has affairs?  I would be questioning their sincerity and their beliefs. While we all make mistakes for sure, revelling in the worldly is not what I would consider a mistake as much a way of life, a way of life that contradicts one's beliefs.

            I'll let you pick out the contradictions in life for yourself. The married man that has gay sex on the down low. The environmentalist that drives a Hummer.  The Attorney general of Florida that expounds on the sanctity of marriage, fights against marriage equality but is thrice divorced herself. 

             Use your imagination on your own examples but don't let yourself escape the scrutiny. If you believe then you must act accordingly. That goes for whatever your beliefs are or whatever your religion is. 

           

Now large crowds were travelling with him; and he turned and said to them, ‘Whoever comes to me and does not hate father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and even life itself, cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not carry the cross and follow me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not first sit down and estimate the cost, to see whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it will begin to ridicule him, saying, “This fellow began to build and was not able to finish.” Or what king, going out to wage war against another king, will not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to oppose the one who comes against him with twenty thousand? If he cannot, then, while the other is still far away, he sends a delegation and asks for the terms of peace.So therefore, none of you can become my disciple if you do not give up all your possessions.

failure to engage

Luke 14:15-24

            I love many lines from the movie Moonstruck but one in particular is when an old Sicilian women miraculously comes back from near death bed.  Johnny Cammareri (Danny Aiello) reports "it's a miracle". Rose Castorini (Olympia Dukakis) says "That's news!" 

           I once a had a brother in law who said he didn't really believe in God because there were no more miracles. I said to him, "open your eyes!"

            Somewhere in between seeing no miracles and seeing miracles in every single thing you see and do is a point to be made.  We are so often so busy and life seems blurred we fail to see what is actually going on around us. Self absorbed, absorbed with our i-phones, cars and clothes and having excuses for everything, we not only don't see the miracles around us we fail to engage in the true business of life. That would be listening, loving and aiming our sights a bit higher than on worldly things.

           Whether it is focusing only on me and self gratification of sex and toys, we just miss the whoe point of living.  I suppose self gratification is ok to some point, I mean we are worth it aren't we? But what about putting others first? Self gratification shared and experienced with a loving heart and hand can elevate the worldly to other worldly, to heavenly heights. Perhaps you think I am speaking of sex. I'm not really because it applies to everything in life. We are just occupied and have so many excuses that we really fail to engage in the business which life is all about.  Whether that is human intimacy or simply listening  to someone or helping someone as corny as crossing the street like the proverbial boy scout. It's corny yes, but it is all those little things and all the interpersonal things of life that help us to engage in the true business of life.

   

               

One of the dinner guests, on hearing this, said to him, ‘Blessed is anyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!’ Then Jesus said to him, ‘Someone gave a great dinner and invited many. At the time for the dinner he sent his slave to say to those who had been invited, “Come; for everything is ready now.” But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of land, and I must go out and see it; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to try them out; please accept my apologies.” Another said, “I have just been married, and therefore I cannot come.” So the slave returned and reported this to his master. Then the owner of the house became angry and said to his slave, “Go out at once into the streets and lanes of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind, and the lame.” And the slave said, “Sir, what you ordered has been done, and there is still room.” Then the master said to the slave, “Go out into the roads and lanes, and compel people to come in, so that my house may be filled. For I tell you, none of those who were invited will taste my dinner.” ’

The art of giving

Luke 14:12-14

           When the current Bishop of the Roman Diocese I live in was installed, he caused quite a stir over some of his choices. One of the most notable was his eviction of a group of nuns from a church building. The intent was to use the space for his own living quarters. Right off the bat you easily could ask why one Bishop requires all the space that an entire group of nuns occupied, but I digress. The real wind started to blow when the nature of his renovations came to light. A notable example was the two wine refrigerators, one for whites and one for reds. I am sure this is no different than what is found in some of the more opulent homes in the diocese. However, this is the Shepherd, the Bishop. One needed to ask several questions. One was the expenditure. Was this money wisely spent and was there a better use for the money? Second, what was the need? Was this to enrich his own lavish lifestyle or was this merely to live a life that required entertaining people that expected such lavishness. None of the questions ever got answered to any satisfaction.

             So I wonder what the good Bishop says about todays' passage. In honesty though, what do we each think of this passage?  In this, one of the richest areas of the country, have most of us not bought into the concept of bigger is better, fine dining for those who can afford it and if we get a gift we simply must reply in kind.

           Heaven forbid we we take this passage in any way in a literal way. What would the world come to? It would be social upheaval of the worst kind now wouldn't it?

           But let's look it at a bit figuratively. Is this not a metaphor for how God treats us? Who is invited to God's table? Simply everyone is invited and not a single one of us are capable of repaying God in kind. We cannot repay God for the graces he has bestowed upon us. And so if we are to live by example and even remotely emulate the love and generosity of God, it behooves us to be as generous as we can and with no expectation of repayment. In fact we should give to those who have no possibility of repayment in kind. 

            This is a concept lost in a world gone mad with materialism. This seems especially rampant in the area in which I live.  We are called though to act differently. We are called to give more than generously to those who are in need and do so quietly and joyfully. It is the art of givng.

He said also to the one who had invited him, ‘When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbours, in case they may invite you in return, and you would be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.’

Forgve and forget

Matthew 18:21-35

           When I was  young man I had a pendant that had inscribed on it, "70 x 7".  That is referenced in today's passage. With even little knowledge about numerology or Biblical numerology , we can see that we are called to forgive more than just once or twice. For some people once might be a challenge and twice would be cause to drag out the expression "fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice shame on me".  In contrast to God, we don't seem too enamored with the ideal of forgiving over and over. It's rather ironic don't you think, when we consider how many times we ourselves make mistakes, errors in judgement or almost outright turn away from God? But God forgives us over and over and over. Jesus died that miserable, horrible death for that very reason. We are forgiven. You'd think we might 'get it'.

          Just yesterday my husband and I were discussing somone that I feel wronged me. I never said I 'hate' that person as if the degree of things really matters. I think 'hate' should be banned but I have no problem simply disliking someone, hypocrite that I am. Anyway, my incredibly wise husband asked me if I thought I could find it in my heart to forgive whatever alleged transgression I may feel was perpetuated on me by this person and move on.  It has me at quite a vulnerable time right now as you might guess but I knew that the forgiving had to be real and complete. That is, not the kind that says "I forgive, but I never forget". That's really not forgiveness.

          The last line of today's passage really drives this point home. Not only are we called to forgive 70 times 7 times ( that is basically, infinitely ), we are called to forgive "from your heart". Forgive completely and without reservation. Forgive completely and letting yourself be set up to be hurt again. Jesus put it another way as well. 'If a man slaps you on one cheek, offer him the other cheek as well'. This is an immensely difficult concept or mandate.

         In a time when we seem to be able to justify every reason to dislike, hate or demand (human) justice, how do we justify our own behavior?  Why do we have the arrogant expectation of total forgiveness from God and are stingy as hell with others?

Then Peter came and said to him, ‘Lord, if another member of the church^* sins against me, how often should I forgive? As many as seven times?’ Jesus said to him, ‘Not seven times, but, I tell you, seventy-seven times.

‘For this reason the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who wished to settle accounts with his slaves. When he began the reckoning, one who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him;and, as he could not pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, together with his wife and children and all his possessions, and payment to be made.So the slave fell on his knees before him, saying, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you everything.” And out of pity for him, the lord of that slave released him and forgave him the debt. But that same slave, as he went out, came upon one of his fellow-slaves who owed him a hundred denarii; and seizing him by the throat, he said, “Pay what you owe.” Then his fellow-slave fell down and pleaded with him, “Have patience with me, and I will pay you.” But he refused; then he went and threw him into prison until he should pay the debt. When his fellow-slaves saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed, and they went and reported to their lord all that had taken place. Then his lord summoned him and said to him, “You wicked slave! I forgave you all that debt because you pleaded with me. Should you not have had mercy on your fellow-slave, as I had mercy on you?” And in anger his lord handed him over to be tortured until he should pay his entire debt.So my heavenly Father will also do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother or sister from your heart.’

The Master's knock

Luke 12:32-48

          There's just so much talking about death that you can bear. Just one more reason to be fearless. It's a cosmic way of your Psyche saying, 'here's your hat, what's your hurry?' You really want an answer either way. Am I going to go? or am I going to stay?  That's not for us to say so prepare as best you can. Live as best you can. Know that the 'master' may come at any time, be prepared to greet him. What a great reading for today.

           As I noted yesterday, we get accustomed to the daily routine that makes us think we are immortal. And yet our life as a faithful person is supposed to be geared toward eternal life.

          There is a school of thought that attaining 'perfection' or at least preparing for our next life is how we embrace and live this life right now.  In exploring what it is to be fully human is to embrace what God created us to be. This is true to the most intimate of levels so that you must discern everything about yourself to attain true holiness.  Denials of who you are or not living up to your God given potential is probably one of the biggest sins against God and yourself.

            On a broad scale, this is why we nurture prodigies. This is also why you have a whole movement afoot to say I'm out and proud.  While being prideful can be an insidious thing, it also is what God wants us to be as his unique and loved creations. If you have been put down, marginalized or mistreated simply for being who you are, there is a special need to acknowledge and feel pride in who you are. From being black to being gay you finally stand up and scream, HEH! I'm here and proud. Why even the lowly geeks of yore have found a pride among themselves. It seems now that the geeks rule the world. 

            How wonderful it is to embrace who you are, be all that you can be and be ready for the "Master" when he comes not at your door. You will be able to say this is what our Father created and this is what I have done with it.  I would hate to be called and for God to say, 'you had such potential' or 'in denying who you are you denied me as your creator'.

          

            

‘Do not be afraid, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions, and give alms. Make purses for yourselves that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

‘Be dressed for action and have your lamps lit; be like those who are waiting for their master to return from the wedding banquet, so that they may open the door for him as soon as he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master finds alert when he comes; truly I tell you, he will fasten his belt and have them sit down to eat, and he will come and serve them. If he comes during the middle of the night, or near dawn, and finds them so, blessed are those slaves.

‘But know this: if the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’

Peter said, ‘Lord, are you telling this parable for us or for everyone?’ And the Lord said, ‘Who then is the faithful and prudent manager whom his master will put in charge of his slaves, to give them their allowance of food at the proper time? Blessed is that slave whom his master will find at work when he arrives. Truly I tell you, he will put that one in charge of all his possessions. But if that slave says to himself, “My master is delayed in coming”, and if he begins to beat the other slaves, men and women, and to eat and drink and get drunk, the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour that he does not know, and will cut him in pieces, and put him with the unfaithful. That slave who knew what his master wanted, but did not prepare himself or do what was wanted, will receive a severe beating.But one who did not know and did what deserved a beating will receive a light beating. From everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required; and from one to whom much has been entrusted, even more will be demanded.