Isaiah 55:10-11: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it.
God gives us great gifts . . . and asks that we use them well.
Jesus tells us parables of unfaithful and faithful stewards who abuse or use well the office with which the master entrusts them . . . and we see ourselves somewhere in these stories.
The Spirit moves us to act on the word we hear . . . and we are free to deny or respond to God’s call.
God creates us in his image . . . and asks that we go forth to represent him in the world.
Jesus models God among us . . . and calls us to follow him.
The Spirit lives within each of us . . . and manifests God’s word to the world.
We receive great gifts . . . and are asked to do much with them.
We are great gifts . . . and we are asked to share.
What nourishment do we bring to others? What sustenance do we provide to others? What action do we take as we achieve the end for which we are sent?
Even if we have spent time with this prayer before it is well worth our while to spend time with this chapter; it reveals a Christ who is eager to pray for each of us . . . directly . . .
I pray not only for them [my apostles gathered around me], but also for those who will believe in me through their word, so that they may all be one, as you , Father, are in me and I in you, that they may also be in us, that the world may believe that you sent me.
And we do believe that God sent Jesus . . . The Word . . . God’s Expression of Self to Us.
We do believe that God is in Jesus . . . that God is in us . . . and that we are in Jesus and God.
We do believethat we are given glory.
We do believe that we are to be brought to perfection as one.
We do believe that we are a gift to Jesus and to God.
We dobelieve that Jesus’ love is in us and that we are in him . . . as love . . . a love which knows no bounds . . . no impossibilities . . . no constraints . . . no conditions . . . no barriers . . . no darkness . . . no death.
We dobelieve!
Written on April 17, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.
This is welcome news: There will be an end to lies! There will come a time when false prophets, manipulation, back-stabbing, advantage-taking, favoritism, cronyism, self-preservation at the expense of others . . . all the trappings of a society which does not understand Jesus and his story . . . all of this will be swept away. Thanks be to God.
The NAB translation of verse 6 (What are these wounds on your chest?) is a change from the Douay (What are these wounds in the midst of thy hands?)is accompanied by an explanatory footnote. “The false prophets, like the prophet of Baal (1 Kings 13, 28), apparently inflicted wounds on themselves; to defend himself against the accusation of being a false prophet, a man will deny having inflicted wounds on himself and say instead that he received them at home, ‘in the house of my dear ones.’ In the liturgy this text is applied to Christ in an accommodated sense”.
The deepest wounds are those we receive from the ones we love best. The deepest wounds are those we inflict on the ones we love best. Jesus was betrayed by one of his twelve; and betrayal stings most when suffered at the hands of one we love.
Christ’s wounds of hands, feet, side, head and heart were suffered at the hands he loved most – humankind. In this act he joins with all of us who likewise suffer . . . yet Zechariah tells us . . . there will be end to this suffering. His prophecy was written to encourage the Jews who had returned from exile to rebuild the city and temple of Jerusalem. We might take heart as we re-read his words. From what exile do we return? What false prophets must we remember as gone and put away? What changes must we make in our decisions and our habits? What city are we dreaming? What temple are we preparing? What life are we building as we walk away from falsehood?
Written on July 24, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.
St. JamesCrucifixion. We return to Mark today to read and reflect on the crucifixion of our Lord, our God who came to live and walk among us. Who came to be one of us . . . so that we might be one with him.
This past Wednesday we celebrated the feast of Saint James, the brother of John the Beloved Apostle. James was executed by beheading as ordered by Herod sometime around the year 42; today he is the patron saint of Spain. James answered the call he heard. James took of the cup offered by Christ and became one of the early martyrs who chose to die in this life in order that he follow Christ both in this world and the next.
Today’s Gospel repeats the story we know so well of the mother of James and John asking Jesus to place her sons – the sons of Zebedee whom Jesus nicknamed Boanerges (The Sons of Thunder) – at his right and left once the kingdom about which he spoke had arrived. Her sons were present with Peter at the raising of Jarius’ daughter, at the transfiguration and in Gethsemane. They followed Jesus during his ministry and they certainly deserved special recognition in their mother’s eyes. I like Jesus’ reply: that these are the decisions best made by the Father.
This message from the Gospel is what reminds me that when things are not going as I see best for most . . . I must remember that just as the Son of God defers to the Creator on matters such as these . . . so ought I.
Jesus suffered torture and crucifixion as an act of redemptive, salvific love. If we wish to take up this same cup, we must be willing to enter into the sacrifice. We do this best when we trust God, trust Jesus, trust the Holy Spirit. Our strength and our true power as co-redeemers with Christ lie in our trust . . . trust that our own suffering has value . . . trust that our own worth is seen by God and will be seen by all . . . trust that we are delivered through and with and in Christ.
From MAGNIFICAT earlier this week: Let us pray in the name of all who are suffering in our day the pain of the cross: Turn your ear to us; hear our words!
Lord, you are the Justice of God, but you were condemned as a criminal: strengthen in forgiveness those who are unjustly condemned. Turn your ear to us; hear our words!
Lord, you are the truth of God: deliver from harm all those who are threatened by lies. Turn your ear to us; hear our words!
Lord, you are the love of God made visible: save all those who are menaced by hatred, cruelty, and abuse. Turn your ear to us; hear our words!
James, John, Mary Magdalene and the other apostles followed Jesus . . . trusting all that he had revealed to them. Christ is physically present to us in the people he sends to us and in The Word we read each day. Let us prepare to take up the Cup of Sacrifice with courage and joy in our hearts.
Written on July 25, 2008 on posted today as a Favorite.
Jeremiah 31:16: Cease your cries of mourning, wipe the tears from your eyes. The sorrow you have shown shall have its reward.
These are words we welcome heartily. They are words we are anxious to hear. They tell us that transformation can and does take place. This is good news indeed.
God says: There is no valley so deep that I cannot and will not plumb its depth in my search for you. There is no mountain so high that I cannot and will not climb its height in my quest for you. There is no world too wide, no dream too dense, no nightmare too horrific that will keep me from you. And my love for you is so intense that when I touch you those tears of sorrow become tears of joy. So cease your crying . . . and bring your sorrow to me.
The faithful need not fight, we are told. The faithful only need turn to God for all for God turns all harm to good. God transforms all. God is all we will ever need. God is our reward.
Good is the Lord to one who waits for God, to the soul that seeks God.
If we might persevere long enough, if we might encourage one another often enough, if we might remain constant beyond the required time . . . then will our enemies shrink into darkness and our troubles slither away.
God says: I know how hard you work at remaining faithful to me. I understand how difficult it is to hold out hope in the darkest of times. I know that others will tug at you to pull you down and away from me. None of this matters because my healing love for you endures forever. You are a pearl of great price and I am willing to pay a great ransom to have you with me. This is a truth you can rely on; it is a reality you can believe. Seek me before all else. I will wait for you for an eternity.
Jeremiah 42:3: Let the Lord God show us what way we should take and what we should do.
Several options lie before us; we cannot decide what to do.
Our opponents attack us: we cannot decide what to say.
We become blinded by our quickly paced life; we are deafened by too many voices that clamor for our attention.
God says: Let me show you which way to go; let me give you the words you are to speak. Even if you are afraid to go where I call or to give voice to my love . . . you need not fear. I will never abandon you. All you need do is listen. All you need do is be still. And a voice from behind shall sound in your ears telling you when to turn to the right or to the left as my prophet Isaiah has said (30:21).
When we are too confused and too paralyzed to react let us be still . . . to listen. Let us put our trust in God . . . to speak. Let us believe that God lives in us . . . and act. For in this way the paralysis we see as curse . . . becomes a transforming gift.
Psalm 121:3:God will not let your foot slip and he who watches over you will not fall asleep.
Málaga, Spain: The World’s Most Dangerous FootpathWe panic too quickly. We lack trust. We believe in our own futile powers more than God’s. We forget that God has and is all.
God says: I do not mind that you are afraid to trust me. I do not worry that you believe in yourself more than you believe in me. I will always be waiting for you. I will always be guarding you. I will always be guiding and calling you. There is nothing you can do or say that will cause me to turn away. I am with you always. If you are exhausted, put down your head and sleep awhile. If you are hungry, dine with me this evening. If you are lonely, spend some time with me. If you are sad or fearful, come to me.
Let us be mindful that God does not break the promises he makes . . . and let us aim to keep our own promises.
Let us remember that God abides by the covenants into which he enters . . . and let us endeavor to remain faithful to our own vows.
Let us consider that God is the eternal shepherd and sentinel . . . and let us aspire to the same constancy and abiding love in our own relationships.
As we travel along today’s portion of our journey, let us consider that even the most treacherous path becomes an easy passage . . . when we walk with God.
Romans 12:9-13: Let love be without any pretense. Avoid what is evil; stick to what is good. In brotherly love let your feelings of deep affection for one another come to expression and regard others as more important than yourself. In the service of the Lord, work not half-heartedly, but with conscientiousness and an eager spirit. Be joyful in hope, persevere in hardship; keep praying regularly; share with any of God’s holy people who are in need; look for opportunities to be hospitable.
If we are looking for a formula for happiness . . . here it is.
If we are wondering what yardsticks we might use to measure ourselves . . . here we have them.
If we are asking ourselves how we might experience peace . . . here is the answer.
Focus on what is good, seek wisdom, be persistent, pray in all circumstances, welcome others, share God’s mercy, live a life of authentic love. Paul gives us a recipe for joy that may seem difficult; yet it is simple.
Serve God by serving others . . . love God by loving others. We have been granted the ingredients . . . now we must use them well.
Isaiah 55:10-11: Just as from the heavens the rain and snow come down and do not return there till they have watered the earth, making it fertile and fruitful, giving seed to him who sows and bread to him who eats, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth; it shall not return to me void, but shall do my will, achieving the end for which I sent it. 
The Noontimes 