The seventy

Luke 10:1-17

        I don't believe it's uncommon to diminish ourselves in the eyes of others , if not ourselves. In fact very often I think we lack good self images and we put ourselves down. I don't think God likes us to do that even if we may have done something wrong. God sees the good in us always like the doting parent that he is. Perhaps more so because he created each one of us with intent as well as love. Biologically speaking I'd say most of us were born simply of love. In any event we tend to diminish ourselves.

           When I think of Jesus' followers curing people, I think of the Apostles, the big guns of the church so to speak. And yet these seventy others were sent out and people were cured. I wonder if we know the names of who those seventy were? Somewhere in the Vatican archives perhaps if it's known at all. Perhaps it doesn't matter .

        Or does it? It really does matter in the that we need to realize the power God gives each one of us as believers. That's right. We have power. We could have been one of those seventy if we were followers then. Are you a follower of Jesus now?

         When we diminish ourselves , we diminish the power of God and the power of His love working in us and through us. It gives you a new slant on why we should not be demeaning ourselves. For one thing, when we say things to ourselves, like "oh how stupid can you get", there is a part of our brain that listens to such tripe. Don't go there, don't say say stuff like that. It demeans who you are and it denies the power, love and uniqueness of whom God wanted in creating you. You, adorable, lovable you.

          I know it may be hard to realize the implications of demeaning yourself but how can you channel the power and love of God if you don't feel worthy? God said if we had the faith the size of a mustard seed, we could move mountains into the sea. We have such healing powers from God, in the name of Jesus, that we should respect ourselves all the more.

        Our good deeds, a cheerful caring voice, our listening, our mere presence can be healing to people. Do not diminish the power of your very presence to others who made need your help. You may not even know the effect you have but you could easily change someones life for the better by showing your healing love and concern for someone. I'm not sure what to call it but we have this notion that we have to actually do something overt and with intent to help others, to heal them or raise them up. My point is that the healing powers we have in Jesus' name can also be simply by caring, a hug, an intimate moment that helps someone realize they are loved , wanted and respected.  Even a smile has curative powers.  In Jesus' name it is all possible.

         As believers we care called to love and cure. Are you one of the seventy?
     

After this the Lord appointed seventy others and sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place where he himself intended to go. He said to them, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore ask the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest. Go on your way. See, I am sending you out like lambs into the midst of wolves. Carry no purse, no bag, no sandals; and greet no one on the road. Whatever house you enter, first say, “Peace to this house!” And if anyone is there who shares in peace, your peace will rest on that person; but if not, it will return to you. Remain in the same house, eating and drinking whatever they provide, for the labourer deserves to be paid. Do not move about from house to house. Whenever you enter a town and its people welcome you, eat what is set before you; cure the sick who are there, and say to them, “The kingdom of God has come near to you.” But whenever you enter a town and they do not welcome you, go out into its streets and say, “Even the dust of your town that clings to our feet, we wipe off in protest against you. Yet know this: the kingdom of God has come near.” I tell you, on that day it will be more tolerable for Sodom than for that town.

‘Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! For if the deeds of power done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes. But at the judgement it will be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon than for you. And you, Capernaum,
will you be exalted to heaven?
   No, you will be brought down to Hades.

‘Whoever listens to you listens to me, and whoever rejects you rejects me, and whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.’

The seventy returned with joy, saying, ‘Lord, in your name even the demons submit to us!’

The rat race

Ephesians 4:25-5:2

          To many the routine is the same. Wake up in a rush, hurry and do whatever chores you can, perhaps a kiss to everyone before you leave, drive, drive, drive, yell at a few fellow drivers, just the stupid ones of course, get to work, chug some coffee, deal with, maybe participate in some bad mouthing and gossip, play angry birds sitting on the corner of your desk, text, tweet, perhaps call home, cheat at work a little, run home, ferry kids to endless activities, grab a beer or two or three? head to bed. repeat, repeat, repeat, TGIF.

           Is this the life we are called to ? Is this what we feel we have to do to keep up appearances and to find 'true happiness' suburban style?

           The answer is NO! When we accept who we are and love with a thankful loving heart, even the 'tasks' that we must do are not angry and rushed, they are joyful and done with purpose and sincere intent. Anger dissipates, love prevails. It's not that you are restraining yourself, holding back anger, it's that you have no will to be part of a rat race that is not reflective of how you feel inside.

           In the face of self joy, faith and love, we are called to live entirely different lives. We may have to do many of the same things all day but they take on new meaning. They are performed differently. You realize some things need not be done and perhaps should not be done. You are changed. You are at peace. Yelling, anger, gossiping all become wasted energy and anathema to your true being. Like the wise men who met (baby) Jesus and returned home via a different route, when we meet Jesus in faith and love, we continue our journey (in life) via a different route. We are changed. As it says in the Broadway show Wicked, ironically perhaps, We have been changed for the better.

            If your life seems a jumble and filled with angst and anger, no time for the good stuff and thoughts of thankfulness elude you - it's time to reevaluate your life and get acquainted or re-acquainted with Jesus. We are meant for truly wonderful lives.

So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbours, for we are members of one another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and do not make room for the devil. Thieves must give up stealing; rather let them labour and work honestly with their own hands, so as to have something to share with the needy. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only what is useful for building up, as there is need, so that your words may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with which you were marked with a seal for the day of redemption. Put away from you all bitterness and wrath and anger and wrangling and slander, together with all malice, and be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Born that way

Ephesians 2:1-10

      Yesterday I spoke about (bad) childlike behavior that infects the world and is responsible for so many of the ills the world has. The passage today speaks of being dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived. While I wrote of our struggle to be who God made us to be, to love and to learn, there is one additional thing we need to realize. This passage spells it out for us.

          We must know that our innate goodness is not something we earn. Who we are, each one of us, in our wholeness, in our beauty, in our ability to love is gifted by God. It is part of all of us and in our own special ways, each one us individually. What did we do to deserve it?  As Lady Gag said, we are 'born that way'. So whether we are straight or gay, black or white or someplace in between or neither at all, we are created by love and a plan by God to have a beautiful world. It is only possible if we cooperate and love. It is only possible if we accept growth. It is only possible if we realize how good we are right from the get go.

           You know our world seems to operate on a different schema, earn enough points and get X.  Get enough boxtops and you get a free toy. Collect enough frequent flyer miles and get a free flight.
With God there is nothing to earn. We do not have to achieve something in order to get his love and salvation. He created us as beautiful creatures out of love so that we can live and love some more. Jesus died on the cross so that we are already forgiven for our trespasses. We could not possibly do enough to earn enough 'points' to obtain salvation or to overcome the sins we may have committed. Jesus died to cover it all and God created us to live joyous and loving lives.

          It's as if God is saying 'I got ya covered', just enjoy, live and love. That makes him happy.

You were dead through the trespasses and sins in which you once lived, following the course of this world, following the ruler of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work among those who are disobedient. All of us once lived among them in the passions of our flesh, following the desires of flesh and senses, and we were by nature children of wrath, like everyone else. But God, who is rich in mercy, out of the great love with which he loved us even when we were dead through our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness towards us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God— not the result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life.

To learn to grow and love

Hebrews 5:7-14

         When I read this passage I get two competing images. One image is all of the wonderful attributes of children. The boundless energy, the simple and unrestricted love that they have. Then there is the down side of children's behavior. I don't think that the bad behavior is really who they are but learned from the world. None the less, there are tirades, tantrums, screaming, telling half truths and lack of maturity so that that they don't get (nor can they understand) the bigger picture. As parents, we sometimes try to explain but the comprehension is like sand slipping through our fingers.

            I am still like that myself sometimes. I am slow to understand and learn but once I learn something, I never forget. Perhaps it's good that I came out after 20 solid years of Catholic education. I learned well the limitless love, the self esteem and peace of God before they told me I wasn't worthy (for being gay). Then it was too late, I know I am loved, I am know I am whole as I am.

             It seems to me that many of the worlds ills, from poverty, war, factions, intransigence, greed and any number of others you care to mention, all come from an immaturity in us as adults. In so many ways we are still acting out adolescent behaviour in an adult world.  I heard a very learned, wise and generous person once say that everything they needed to learn in life was learned in kindergarten. Sadly, instead of learning good lesson there, some people learned to grab all the toys, cry for their own way and lie and cheat. The behavior is still with them as adults and the world seems a mess.  Are the problems of the world from a lack of understanding, lack of maturity or lack of love as a child?

                 What this might have you believe is that we have learned behavior from childhood that cannot change. Nothing however could be further from the truth.  All of the world's ills, all our personal issues, problems with the churches and problems within governments can be solved by maturity and strong doses of love and understanding.  We are slow to get it. I know I am. But with love and a willingness to change and grow, everything is possible. Perhaps that is one of the fundamental messages Christ gave us. New life, Easter people, the ability to mature, change, grow and reach new states of being and maturity.

                 For any change, there are catalysts and true effort, perhaps struggle. Seeds need to be watered, need sunlight and have to burst through the soil. Caterpillars must build a cocoon, and eventually break free of that tomb to emerge as a beautiful butterfly.

          Jesus' message of love is the catalyst the world needs. We must free ourselves from the tyranny of learned behavior. We must free ourselves from the bondage of 'traditions' that only serve to perpetuate inequality, systemic incompetence and self righteousness. We must be willing to place ourselves at the disposal of others for help, have a willingness to learn and accept that we are not 'all that'.

          Like the birth of a butterfly, our birth will be slow and will be a struggle but humanity will be better served and a true image of God's design for us if we love as Jesus loved and be true to the innate goodness that each of us was created with.  

In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to the one who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission. Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what he suffered;and having been made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him, having been designated by God a high priest according to the order of Melchizedek.

About this we have much to say that is hard to explain, since you have become dull in understanding. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic elements of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food; for everyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is unskilled in the word of righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, for those whose faculties have been trained by practice to distinguish good from evil.

On not writing people off

Acts 18:1-8

         I am as out and proud as just about anyone. I'm not wearing rainbow belts and scarves and the like, but I am out and proud and I am politically, religiously and socially active. I am often at odds with people over a variety of issues. I suppose most of all about being gay. When you say for example that gays shouldn't marry or that it's not a real marriage, I do take it personally. You are talking about my relationship with my husband, our commitment, our love. As a Christian, I believe my marriage as Sacramental as well.

        So what of those e people that disagree with me? The ones I would view as misguided or worse, hard hearted and outright wrong.  Should I shake the dust off my feet and pretend they do not exist? Should I write them as as idiots and have nothing more to do with them?

        One of the things I have learned and this has nothing to do with right, wrong, left, write, Jew, Christian, Muslim or Buddhist, is that life is a journey. Each and every one of us is on a journey to wholeness.  It can take a lifetime. Well, really, it does take a lifetime.  We all learn at different rates, we have different experiences, different frames of reference. What you learn at 9 years old I may not learn until I am ninety and visa verse. Who am I to judge your journey?  When I dust the sand off my sandals for good, I am closing my mind to the possibility of change and growth in the other and myself. I am judging in the worst possible way. I have to respect the others journey. That doesn't man I am not going to try to reach out, teach, educate and expose people to what a decent life is like. I wish to convert people to respect by good example and a loving life. Dusting the sand off your shoes forever won't do that.

          This reading seems to be one of the ones that Paul writes that one could take issue with. He has a problem with the Jews for not accepting the word and so he condemns them that they will have blood on their heads. I am glad that Paul so eloquently argued that Christ's message of love and salvation was open to the gentiles, the non-Jews. But at the same time I think Paul's message of condemnation is not from God. The same generosity he would heap on the gentiles  is absent in his speech towards the Jews.  This is just another example of the scriptures written by imperfect humans about a perfect God. Does the perfection of the creator translate to perfection in us fallible humans who write their story about God?

            Love, forgiveness, tolerance, understanding and respect for journey must be universal and reciprocal. I know it isn't always so but I would rather die living a good life than taking up the banner of intolerance and hatred that is often foisted on the gay community.

          

After this Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them, and they worked together—by trade they were tentmakers. Every sabbath he would argue in the synagogue and would try to convince Jews and Greeks.

When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul was occupied with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that the Messiah was Jesus. When they opposed and reviled him, in protest he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, ‘Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.’ Then he left the synagogue and went to the house of a man named Titius Justus, a worshipper of God; his house was next door to the synagogue. Crispus, the official of the synagogue, became a believer in the Lord, together with all his household; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul became believers and were baptized.

Stand by me

Matthew 28:16-20

           Did you ever make note of how differently people act in different situations? Kids will act one way in front of their parents or teachers and another way when they are alone with their friends. Many adults are the same way, they act differently in different situations.  I would think I might act differently in the presence of our President. I certainly would be on my best behaviour if Jesus was in the room. It is a true blessing for anyone who has the peace and surety to be themselves always at all times. What gives you such inner peace?

             For one thing, it might be knowing your own value. Another might be knowing in every fiber of your being that you are loved. In this passage, Jesus says "I am with you always". If we truly believe that, I think we would act differently at least some of the time. It wouldn't be because we are afraid to be ourselves. It wouldn't be that we'd always be on guard because you know who is with me. I suspect the assurance that we are loved and the knowledge that He is always with us is transformational. The surety that allows someone to be a peace is from knowing they are loved, know they have value and know that God is with them always.

            Perhaps for today, try to realize that at any given moment, God is there with you. Remember that He has a good sense of humour and loves to laugh. Remember he's holding you when something goes wrong. Remember he is along side you as you do even mundane tasks and interact with people that are not perhaps as aware as you are that they have worth, are loved and are living in the presence of God because "I am with you always".

           Just for today perhaps, hopefully know for every moment and for all time, that you are special, you are loved and that God stands with you wherever you are.

           

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

In the blink of an eye.

Luke 12:22-31

          Last week I was riding my brand new bike for a pleasant Sunday afternoon ride. I had gone to Mass, visited my grandson (and my daughter and son-in-law) and now was at mile marker 4.87 on an intended 12 mile loop around the surrounding farms. Then it happened, I saw a car coming at me and wham, down I went, bike crumpled. I was blessed to see him coming so I had a chance to dive off at the last second. Still I hit the road hard on my hip and lay there in the middle of the road. I will confess to you all that the words out of my mouth were not saintly. I really screamed at the guy but that's not the point. I was actually OK and that is paramount.

         What could have happened though was that in the blink of an eye at mile mark 4.87, my life could surely have ended. No fanfare, no warning (well, a little, praise God) and it would have been all over, one day shy of my first anniversary to the most wonderful man in the world. Plans and looking forward to our wonderful life for years to come would have evaporated.

          So suddenly the obsessive checking of the stock market seems hollow. What's for dinner seems trivial at best.  What could I possibly have to worry about that is not put into perspective by a near death experience? I still check the stock market but there's a part of my brain that  has been rattled back into the real world. That is, treasure every second, love at every opportunity, do not hold grudges and be thankful for everything. Most of all, thankful for a man and a cat.

          I can rattle off a dozen things to worry about. I suppose they could keep me from sleep. But it won't keep from that deep sleep we will all come to some day so what good is the worry? Put your energy into something more fruitful. Have a good conversation (pray) with your heavenly father who wishes only the best for you. Say thank you. Lay out your concerns to Him but don't let those concerns consume you. Like I said, put your energies into something more fruitful. Work hard. Play hard. Pray hard. My motto that seems to fit nicely right here about where to put your energies. Certainly NOT into worrying.

       

He said to his disciples, ‘Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat, or about your body, what you will wear. For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds! And can any of you by worrying add a single hour to your span of life? If then you are not able to do so small a thing as that, why do you worry about the rest? Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will he clothe you—you of little faith! And do not keep striving for what you are to eat and what you are to drink, and do not keep worrying. For it is the nations of the world that strive after all these things, and your Father knows that you need them. Instead, strive for his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well.