If we listen to the song Alive Againby Matt Maher, we may find new peace and a new energy as we ponder the question Where have I gone . . . we may experience a new birth, and we may discover that we are alive again. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h30qiH7MSHM
Wishing all a blessed Easter, and offering all of you this Easter Prayer.
May each of us be renewed in Christ.
May each of us be blessed by the Creator.
May each of us be graced by the Holy Spirit.
May we keep in mind that we are Easter people.
May we announce and share the gift of Resurrection that God has bestowed on us.
And may we hold the story of God’s love for all creation in our hearts.
As we enter Holy Week with the celebration of Palm Sunday, we remind ourselves that human history has the unmistakable pattern of flight and return. We flee when we sense danger. We shrink to hide when we are overwhelmed. We reject the story before us that reminds us of our shortcomings. But the powerful story of the coming week is one of return, redemption, forgiveness and a love that is so powerful that it can erase any transgression.
Today we take time to visit the story of Ezra to look for the clues it gives us to our own road to retrieval, renovation, and recovery. We stray and yet while we wander the roadways that lure us away from God who sustains us, we hear the voice that continues to call. We celebrate a life we believe is free when we throw away our relationship with Christ to live a life with no controls, but still we hear that quiet voice that continues to beckon. We sink into the easy life that offers no obstacle to our whims and yet we feel the abiding presence of the Spirit.
Ezra and the Israelites return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city that had sheltered them and had represented their unique relationship with God. Together with Ezra and Nehemiah the people respond to that voice that has never ceased calling. This distance and return are foreshadowed in the Christmas story that we have been visiting. We know that the Holy Family flee to Egypt to avoid the hatred and envy of Herod. We also know that they return once God calls them back.
Bartolomé Esteban Murillo: The Holy Family with Little Bird
Today we return. Whether we have fled because we have felt no need of God, or because we experience deep danger, we know we must return. We hear the call of the Shepherd’s voice, we feel the warmth of Christ’s love, we remember the loving embrace of the Spirit. And we return to the sure safety of the Holy Family. In the days of Holy Week that unfold before us, let us confess that we are not always present to God’s call. And let us enter this holy time with the surest and purest of intentions that we re-commit ourselves daily to the unfailing love of God.
Our story is told through the whole of scripture as the story of Christ. Today we reflect on the traces of this story that we find in our own lives from the first words of Genesis . . . In the beginning . . . to the last words of Revelation . . . The grace of the Lord Jesus be with all.What has been our beginning? What do our lives reveal?
From the Torah and narratives, through the books of wisdom and prophets, and finally with the gospels, letters and final oracles, we read the story of Jesus who is predicted and promised, and who comes to fulfill that covenant promise. What is our prediction? What potential of hope has God placed within us? What is the promise our lives disclose?
The scripture stories fit together, notching closely as a mosaic to form the Mystical Body of Christ. What sort of image of God do we speak to the world with our lives? How do the stories we play out speak of our relationship with God?
Christ’s story can be our own not in that we live perfect lives as Jesus did, but in that we strive for this perfect love that Jesus teaches us daily. Today, we look at the words that begin his story as a human . . .In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that the whole world should be enrolled . . . and we take the opportunity to consider once again how our own story might begin . . . In those days a war erupted between . . . In those days there was great political, economic and social unrest . . . In those days peace had come upon the land . . . In those days there was much to celebrate . . . We might enumerate our family lineage as Matthew does in his Gospel. We might wade immediately into our story as Mark does; or we might allow poetry to take over as does John . . . In the beginning was The Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Our own New Testament might begin . . . In the beginning there was Fury . . . there was Peace . . . there was Confusion . . . there was Joy.
Today we spend time reflecting on the introduction of our story. The introduction of our hope. The introduction of the love we bring to the world as our response to God’s call.
Tomorrow, our stories of obstacles and rejections.
Knowing that through humility, emptiness, and service, our journey leads us more quickly to the kingdom of God we seek.
Today’s lesson on Glory: Mary Magdalene and the other apostles discover an empty tomb and at first believe that Jesus has left them behind. Through many “wonders and signs,” Jesus assures them of his very real presence.
Each Easter we spend time with this chapter of John’s Gospel, reliving the passage Jesus’ followers make from emptiness to fulfillment. It is very like the same passage we make each time we traverse a difficult patch of our lives. We might re-read these verses when we find ourselves in the emptiness of betrayal, denial or abandonment. They hold stories we will want to re-live and re-tell.
The Empty Tomb – Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. We might better manage our disappointments, fears and troubles if we remember that fulfillment follows this emptiness.
The Appearance to Mary of Magdala – Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? We might better experience peace for the hatred we encounter in the world if we leave ourselves open to the visits of angels.
The Appearance to the Disciples – On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, in fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you”.We might better discover unity in our divisions if we look for Christ who is always in our midst.
Caravaggio: Doubting Thomas
Thomas – Thomas was not with them when Jesus came and so he said to the disciples, I will not believe”. Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you”. Thomas said, “My Lord and my God!”We might better understand our role as branch to Jesus’ vine if we accept Jesus’ love with humility.
Signs and Wonders – Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.We might better hold firm in our love of Christ if we humble ourselves before the many signs and wonders we experience in our lives.
We might compare varying versions of John 20 and connect these stories to the hills in valleys in our own lives. Search this blog for reflections from John 20 and re-think the Easter miracle.
Richard Rohr, OFM in his June 5, 2015 tells us: “If incarnation is the big thing, then Christmas is bigger than Easter (which it actually is in most Western Christian countries). If God became a human being, then it’s good to be human and incarnation is already redemption. Francis and the Franciscans were the first to popularize Christmas. For the first 1,000 years of the church, there was greater celebration and emphasis on Easter. For Francis, if the Incarnation was true, then Easter took care of itself. Resurrection is simply incarnation coming to its logical conclusion: we are returning to our original union with God. If God is already in everything, then everything is unto glory! Much of the early church did not have trouble with what many would now call universal salvation (apocatastasis, as in Acts 3:21). We are all saved by infinite love and mercy anyway. ‘God alone is good’ (Mark 10:18), so there’s no point in distinguishing degrees of worthiness. Everything in creation merely participates in God’s infinite goodness, and our job is to trust and allow that as much as possible.
“As Matthew Fox said, we made a terrible mistake by starting with ‘original sin’ (a phrase not in the Bible); we absolutely must begin with original blessing. ‘God created it, and it was good’ is stated six times in a row in our Creation story (Genesis 1:9-31), ending with ‘indeed it was very good!’ But, up to the present time, most of Christianity concentrated on what went wrong with our original goodness . . .
“The Franciscan starting point is not sin; our starting point is Divine Incarnation itself. So our ending point is inevitable and predictable: resurrection. God will lead all things to their glorious conclusion, despite the crucifixions in between. Jesus is the standing icon of the entire spiritual journey from start to finish: divine conception, ordinary life, moments of enlightenment (such as his baptism, Peter’s confession, and Jesus’ transfiguration), works of love and healing, rejection, death, resurrection, and ascension. That is not just Jesus; it is true for all of us.”
Christ is present in all of creation. Christ is present in each of us. This is the mystery of incarnation. We know that God creates the universe and the microverse out of great love and deep compassion. We know that Christ comes to walk among us as salvation and redemption. We know that the Spirit abides with us to console and heal. This we know and yet it is mystery when we wonder . . . how is it that God loves us this deeply and this well? And how is it that we fail to trust this great love?
All through Eastertide we have reflected on the gifts and treasures God so generously bestows on us. We have considered our role in God’s great plan. And we have remembered Jesus’ actions and words as he worked to build God’s kingdom on earth among God’s children. Today spend time with these verses and look for their impact in your own life.
When the time was fulfilled . . . frequently we hear these words in scripture. When we take these words in we understand that God’s work comes about in God’s time and space, and not ours.
They were all in one place . . .a number of timeswe hear God’s call to unity in the Spirit. When we come together in Jesus’ name our prayers are answered even though we might not believe this truth to be so.
The Spirit enabled them to proclaim . . . through both Old and New Testaments we are often told that the Spirit will tell us which way to walk, that a voice will speak to us to give us the words we will need to speak in God’s time and in God’s plan. When we relax into this knowledge we find new peace, a new skin, a new heart.
They were confused . . . so often in the Bible stories we read we understand that even those who are intimately involved with God are confused by the plan that lies before them. When we rest in the knowledge that God has nothing but our joy in mind, we can trust the Spirit to show us which path to take in labyrinth of life.
They were astounded and in amazement . . . repeatedly we hear this news in both Old and New Testaments that we humans are astonished at the depth and breadth and height of God’s goodness and love. When we allow ourselves to believe this good news, we find new peace, new life and new serenity.
We hear them speaking . . . we are constantly barraged by so many words and so many images. Today we open our hearts to the Spirit and focus on one or two of these phrases or words. Today we allow God to speak through us. Today we celebrate the enormous gift and presence of the Spirit in our lives. Today we celebrate the great feast of Pentecost.
Use the scripture link and the drop-down menus to spend time with these Pentecost verses today . . . imagine the world we might create . . . let go of all small and petty plans . . . prepare to be amazed by God’s goodness . . . to be wrapped in Christ’s love . . . to be healed by the Spirit’s power to restore. Let us go out to all the nations in Christ so that all will hear us as if we were speaking in their own tongues . . . for it is in this way that we encounter the gentle compassion and eternal strength of Christ.
We are a week away from Pentecost Sunday and so we take time to review our Eastertide Noontimesto consider God’s wisdom in each of us as we look for the answer to these questions: What does Jesus have in mind for us this Eastertide? How does Jesus expect us to bring compassion to the world? And, where will we find the wisdom, courage and strength to do so?
A foundational theme in Jesus’ work and words is the importance of inclusion. We see him interact with women, tax collectors, Pharisees and lost souls. He walks among the clean and unclean alike; he ministers to the deaf and blind as well as the comfortable and well-off. Today and tomorrow we reflect on where and when we might step into the mission God extends to us. Do we move out and away from the community in which we are planted or do we remain and look for new windows of opportunity to enact our commission? As we prepare for our newest assignment in this important work, we do well to remember Jesus’ words.
Go to the lost sheep . . .
Cure the sick, raise the dead, cleanse lepers, drive out demons . . .
Without cost you have received, without cost you are to give . . .
Whatever town or village you enter, look for a worthy person in it and stay there . . .
As you enter a house, wish it peace . . .
If the house is worthy l let your peace come upon it . . .
If not, let your peace return to you . . .
Use the scripture link above to search other versions of these verses . . . and allow God to reveal to you the commission he has in mind for your work. Enter the word Pentecostinto the blog search bar and explore.
We have spent time with Jesus as he heals leprosy, paralysis and blindness, stills an intense and dangerous storm and enables the mute to speak. We have followed him as he casts out demons, admonishes corrupt leaders and heals an older woman’s hemorrhaging on his way to raise a young woman from the dead. We listen to Jesus when he reminds us to use shrunken cloth to mend our old cloaks and to put our new wine into new skins. Jesus is well aware of the suffering that surrounds him yet he does not shrink from the painful challenge; rather, he brings joy and healing and transformation.
Jesus went around to all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every disease and illness.
Let us imagine a world in which we all proclaim the good news, in which we all teach with our example of witness, in which we touch our enemies and friends alike with compassion.
At the sight of the crowds, his heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.
Let us imagine a world in which we shepherd one another when our hearts are low and our spirits falter, in which we act in mercy rather than revenge, in which we look for union rather than separateness.
Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send the laborers for his harvest.
Let us imagine a world in which masters and laborers work together to bring compassion to work places across the globe, in which parents and children act in love and peace in their homes, in which leaders and followers find common ground for the common good.
As we prepare for the Feast of Pentecost and the close of Eastertide, let us imagine a world such as this . . . and let us step into the role that Jesus has in mind for us as we bring Christ’s compassion to the world.
Visit the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker Movement site at www.catholicworker.org or another site of your choice, and be open to the harvesting work to which God may be calling you. Share your experience in a blog comment and invite others to join in Jesus call of compassion for the world.
In a world that often discounts or neglects women, this story has much to tell us.
First, although in the ancient world – and in some parts of our modern world today – women count for little more than livestock or a good hunting dog, Jesus clearly values women.
We must consider how we respond to those who have little or no value to the world.
Second, reflecting on the juxtaposition of a vibrant young woman and a woman well along in years, we watch Jesus as he tends to both of them.
We must consider how we respond to those who are outside of our social loops and circles of acceptance.
Third, coming from two separate classes, these women both benefit from Jesus’ loving attention.
We must consider how we respond to those in power and those who live and move in our shadow.
Fourth, Jesus’ actions of loving acceptance are so unusual that the news of this spread throughout the land.
We must consider when and how and why we respond – or do not respond – to Christ’s call to care for one another, to accept one another and even to heal one another in his name.
As we reflect on the resurrection of an official’s daughter and the healing of the hemorrhaging woman, let us remember how quickly the good news of Jesus’ interactions spreads. And let us also reflect on our willingness – or unwillingness – to tell the story of the good news about these two women.
Use the scripture link above to compare versions of this story.
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The Noontimes 