Luke 19:1-10: Seek the Spirit
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Saturday, October 26, 2024
Zacchaeus the Publican
“Come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house”.
When we seek the Spirit, we must be open to the invitation, no matter its form. (more…)
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Mark 5:21-43: Seek Christ – Part II
Mark 5:21-43: Seek Christ – Part II
Paolo Veronese: Christ and the Woman with the Issue of Blood Friday, October 25, 2024
Jairus’ Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage
The evangelist Mark writes this portion of his story by weaving several strands together – thus replicating the manner in which we all live – and asking us to take a closer look. Jesus sets off to perform one task and is interrupted by the needs of another. Once he interacts with the un-named woman, he returns to his original task to complete it – even though circumstances have changed and the case appears to be hopeless. In this way, Mark expresses so much more about Jesus’ essence than his words convey. He tells us that:
- Jesus perseveres – and as citizens of the new kingdom, so must we all.
- Jesus hopes – and as people who believe in the new kingdom, so should we all.
- Jesus suffers – and as servants in the new kingdom, so will we all.
- Jesus heals – and as apostles in the new kingdom, so should we all.
- Jesus admonishes – and as disciples in the new kingdom, so shall we all.
- Jesus loves – and as lovers of Christ, so are we all required to love.
In today’s reading we see Jesus surrounded by the flock. We see him wading among the people, being open, being present, holding a standard, carrying the lambs.
What a wonderful brother, father, lover and redeemer. We, too, may reach out to touch his cloak at any minute as it flutters ahead of us, just within reach. We, too, can expect to be raised by his hand when we move from this life to the next. We, too, are his beloved. We can await no greater words than the words we hear today, Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go in peace and be cured of your affliction.
Jesus speaks to us in these words. Jesus touches, cures, challenges, and sends us forth to heal in his name. As members of this new kingdom, nothing more is required of us. And nothing less.
For more on hemorrhages in Biblical times, visit: http://biblehub.com/topical/h/hemorrhage.htm
From November 2, 2007.
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Mark 5:21-43: Seek Christ – Part I
Mark 5:21-43: Seek Christ – Part I
George Percy Jacomb-Hood: The Raising of Jairus’s Daughter – Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK Thursday, October 24, 2024
Jairus’ Daughter and the Woman with a Hemorrhage
What I like most about the Gospel of Mark is its intricate simplicity that causes us to pause, look and contemplate – if we only take the time. In today’s reading we have the intertwined stories of an important official of the synagogue, Jarius, and an un-named, apparently insignificant woman. The juxtaposition and the interweaving of these people and their stories are masterful: the expiring daughter of a religious official, and the dying nameless woman. Both are daughters of Jesus.
There are so many details to observe and ponder.
- Jesus’ touch cures – even when he does not initiate the healing.
- Jesus asks who has touched him – when surely he knows – and affords the nameless woman the opportunity to interact with him – he then affirms her faith and proclaims it to those who surround them.
- Jesus feels his healing power go out – each time he heals it costs him something.
- Jesus enters the home of the synagogue official – knowing that the corruption in the religious structure will bring him to his human end.
- Jesus suffers the ridicule of the mourners, and then puts them out – but he takes the child’s parents and his apostles with him when he cures.
- Jesus tells those who witness the raising of Jarius’ daughter from death that they must not tell anyone of this miracle – knowing that he will be ignored.
- Jesus asks that the child be fed – and in so doing he returns everyone to a new normalcy.
Everywhere Jesus goes, and for everyone he touches, he comforts, heals, saves – and challenges. He teaches by both word and action. He affirms the faith people have in him and in his kingdom. He brings hope to the most hopeless of situations. He acts in love always, even toward those who do him harm. He acts in peace and unity. He acts in us.
Tomorrow, Jesus as brother, father, lover and redeemer.
Adapted from a reflection written on November 2, 2007.
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Daniel 2:20-23: Seek God
Daniel 2:20-23: Seek God
William Brassey Hole: Daniel Interprets the Dream of Nebuchadnezzar Wednesday, October 23, 2024
A Canticle of Praise
If we want to seek God, we do well to begin with praising God. In the Northern Hemisphere as we bring in the harvests from a season of plenty, we reflect on one who praises God well.
The story of Daniel is well-known to us. He and his comrades were taken to the Babylonian court, as were many of the talented young Jewish men, and there he interprets king Nebuchadnezzar’s dream. When he is graced with the gift of a vision from God, he reveals the mystery of the king’s dream. Daniel wisely acknowledges the source of his talent and so he properly and immediately thanks and praises his God with these beautiful verses. They are ones that we might recite each morning and each evening at the rising and the closing of our day.
God is wise and powerful!
Praise God forever and ever.Daniel brings to full potential not only himself but also the Jewish nation in a creative, saintly way. He takes no care for his own circumstances – which are at the minimum unpleasant and at the worst life-threatening – because he knows that God will protect and guide him. Daniel is only concerned about fulfilling the part of God’s plan which he has been called to enact. He pushes himself toward the potential planted in him by God. So do the saints. So may we.
Let us praise God as Daniel does.
Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, for wisdom and power are God’s.
What an awesome God we have. Let us join God and the community of saints as we seek to know ourselves better, to share ourselves better, to heal ourselves and others better.
God reveals deep and hidden things and knows what is in the darkness, for the light dwells with God.
Let us open to the light of the revealed Christ. Let us put that light on a lampstand for all creation to see.
To you, O God . . . I give thanks and praise, because you have given me wisdom and power.
Amen.
Adapted from a Favorite from November 1, 2007.
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Exodus 22:20-26: Seek Love
Exodus 22:20-26: Seek Love
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
We have sought wisdom; we have sought justice. Today we seek Christ’s way of love, and we begin with the Book of Exodus.
Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not mistreat any widow or orphan. If you do, I, the Lord, will answer them when they cry out to me for help . . . If you lend money to any of my people who are poor, do not act like a moneylender and require him to pay interest. If you take someone’s cloak as a pledge that he will pay you, you must give it back to him before the sun sets.
Sophia – – – Wisdom The Hebrew people were called to remember that they had once been aliens in a foreign land. Today we have the opportunity to answer to this call by caring for the most vulnerable among us. The Hebrew people were called to put aside self-interest and to respond to the divine call to be generous as God is generous.
When Jesus both tells and shows us how to live in a world centered on itself, Matthew records this recipe in Matthew 5 as he describes true happiness. Jesus further refines this formula to a simple rule of love when the Pharisees quiz him. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. (Matthew 22:34-40)
Each morning when we rise, we have the opportunity to pledge to both seek and enact love that day. Each noontime when we pause, we have the opportunity to reflect on the depth of that pledge. And each evening when we consider our work and prayer, we have the opportunity to rededicate ourselves to seeking love with ample hearts, with focused minds and with full strength.
When we use the scripture links and the drop-down menus to compare varying translations of these verses, we come upon new ways to discover God’s love. To discover ways we might find wisdom and justice, click on the images above, or visit: https://theconsecratedwoman.com/tag/seek-justice/ and http://www.uscatholic.org/church/scripture-and-theology/2008/07/desperately-seeking-sophia and https://dailyverses.net/isaiah/1/17/kjv
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Psalms 35 – 37: Seek Justice
Psalms 35 – 37: Seek Justice
Monday, October 21, 2024
A Favorite from November 12, 2009.
Yesterday we reflected on the value of seeking wisdom in times of trial. Today we focus on seeking justice in times of injustice and these three psalms serve as a kind of trilogy of prayer. I am struck by the titles of these songs in English first and then in Spanish.
35 – An Appeal for Help against Injustice, I am Your Salvation
36 – Human Weakness and Divine Goodness, By Your Light we see Light
37 – Fate of the Wicked and reward of the Righteous, The Humble Shall Inherit the Earth
We are lead from naming injustice, through seeking God in order that we see what is good about our situation, to arrive at the result of God’s way of being. In God’s world, the wicked suffer consequences for their descent into darkness and secrecy while the faithful are rewarded for their perseverance and patience. When we feel pummeled by life we might want to turn to these three prayers and give them our full focus.
Rescue me from these ravening beasts; preserve my precious life from these lions.
If we can identify the wicked ways of others then we know when and where to step cautiously.
Do not allow my treacherous enemies to gloat over me; do not permit those who hate me without reason to wink their eyes at me.
Humans fear that the darkness will encompass them; yet we have been promised the light.
Sin speaks to the wicked one in the heart; . . . there is no fear of God. He deludes himself with the idea that his guilt will not be discovered and hated.
In the end, nothing remains hidden. Those who engage in darkness forget that the light will reveal all.
Oh Lord, your kindness extends to the heavens; your faithfulness to the skies . . . With you is the fountain of life, and by your light we see light.
We must appeal to God to show us how to find strength through our kindness.
Do not fume because of evildoers or envy those who do wrong. They will wither quickly like the grass and fade away like the green herb. Put your trust in the Lord and do good . . .
Sinking to the level of the wicked only makes the darkness more intense and brings it closer.
In a short while, the wicked will be no more; no matter how diligently you search, you will not be able to find him.
We must not allow our anxieties and preoccupations to close in on us. Seek God in order to find stillness and quiet.
But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy an abundance of peace.
We must be meek as Jesus is meek, humble as The Lamb is humble.
Two words struck me from today’s closing prayer at Mass which I will carry with me for awhile: Courage and Peace. If we have these two, we have all. This Psalm Trilogy today is a roadmap for our exodus out of fear and our arrival at promised serenity. We must have Courage in our God, for this is where we find a small pocket or a tiny island of tranquility . . . even amidst the trials and darkness that we suffer because of the wicked. When we find ourselves in pain at the hand of evil, we must take courage and seek justice in order to arrive at peace.
Image from: https://x.com/poeticeintl/status/683065105601445892?prefetchTimestamp=1728830608855
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Wisdom 6: Seek Wisdom
Wisdom 6: Seek Wisdom
Sunday, October 20, 2024
A Favorite from November 11, 2009.
My daughter and I are praying for a common cause these past few days and I just found this morning that we each picked up a Bible and turned to the same verse. It spoke to each of us about the cause we hold between us. We are praying for someone who “lords it over” others and on the same day at nearly the same hour we stumble upon the same verse. We are all more connected in more ways than we know and understand. We ought to try to be more aware of this, especially regarding those whom we perceive to be enemies. We need to pray more for them, and we need to pray more for all of us.
Jesus tells us (John 15) that he is the vine and we are the branches, and he reminds us that we can do nothing in and of ourselves; we must rely totally on God. He also tells us that we are so loved that we will be pruned and tended so that we will bear fruit to nourish the world. This pruning will be painful but it is essential for our own transformation and for the transformation of the world. It is in our willingness to sacrifice ourselves for the good of others that we find our best selves, our true potential. It is in this self-giving that we reach out and embrace Christ and the work he has in mind for us. It is through this work – completed in love with the one who knows all suffering and all pain – it is through the Narrow Way and through This One that we find our own divinity.
Hear, therefore . . . hearken!
Authority for this divine work comes from Christ himself. God alone decides. We cannot presume to understand the complexity of God’s plan; nor ought we decide what tasks are ours to take up or to put down.
The Lord shows no partiality nor does the Lord fear greatness.
When we allow our fear and anxiety to get in the way of our own conversion, we behave as though God cannot handle the difficulties in our path; yet we know that God is capable of all. With God, all things are possible.
For the first step toward discipline is a very earnest desire for Wisdom.
We find strength to do what we must do when we sink into the comfort offered by the Holy Spirit. With patience, with silence, and with waiting Wisdom arrives to accompany her handmaidens whom she sends out into the world.
Hear, therefore . . . and hearken!
And let us pray . . .
Image from: https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/opened-bible-book-page-abstract-illustration_20124618.htm
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2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part II
2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part II
Alexandre Cabanel: Thamar Saturday, October 19, 2024
We see Absalom set himself up as heir to a throne he will not inherit. We see him strip away all that is holy from his life. Reading ahead, we see him die a ridiculous death, hanging by his hair from a terebinth tree while one of David’s soldiers runs him through with a spear. Absalom plots for years to murder his brother for the rape of their sister, Tamar. Absalom relies on the very human resources of power, looks and cleverness to win for him the vengeful goals he lays out for himself. It is clear that Absalom does not consult God as he enters into and executes his plans.
Absalom was a prince of a powerful nation. It was written that: In all of Israel not a man could so be praised for his beauty as Absalom, who was without blemish from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. (14:25) But what had become of his soul? How had the events of his childhood so shaped him to produce such anger? Why were the gifts he had received from a loving God not enough to please him? What was it that made him always want more?
Upon his return from exile, Absalom falls to the ground at his father’s feet when he is pardoned. He then stands, and leaves the palace to set his newest grab for power into motion. He employs deceit to win friends and enemies alike rather than obedience to God as his game plan. He relies on his influence and charm and for awhile these tools prove a powerful arsenal; but in the end they are not enough. In the end, Absalom – the master deceiver – is himself deceived. He returns from Geshur and continues to weave the labyrinth of his life with chariots, horses and henchmen all the while forgetting that the proper response to pardon is a grateful heart. Let us learn a lesson from Absalom’s ruin.
For more information about the people and places in this reflection, visit yesterday’s post, Deceit – Part I.
A Favorite from November 21, 2008.
Image from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamar_(daughter_of_David)
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2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part I
2 Samuel 14 & 15: Deceit – Part I
Eustache Le Sueur: The Rape of Tamar Friday, October 18, 2024
David, Amnon, Tamar, Absalom. Joab, the woman from Tekoa, Zadok the priest, Ziba, Ahithophel. What an amazing cast of characters to play the roles we find in this tale we have visited often – the story of a family fueled by envy, payback, and violence – the story of a family spiraling into self-destruction. Exile and Return, Forgiveness and Revenge. These are themes familiar to any people on any day in any generation. Today’s reading presents us with a window into the lives of several members of Jesus’ family tree as we see them plot and connive with tremendous skill; but eventually we see that gains born of deceit have no place in honest relationships; and this is a lesson we may want to carry into our own most intimate relationships, especially our relationship with God.
The first verse in chapter 15 stands out to us: After this Absalom provided himself with chariots, horses, and fifty henchmen.
Absalom returns home after having murdered his brother Amnon, and he is pardoned by his father, King David. Yet his first act is to begin to lay the ground work to continue his life of deception and connivance. Clearly he did not learn much during his years in exile in Geshur. Perhaps he spent them in denial of his own deeds, brooding about how he had been wronged and plotting to continue his revenge rather than spending time in introspection. Perhaps he nursed his anger, allowing hatred to bloom in his heart in the place where forgiveness rightly dwells.
Tomorrow, a prince of a powerful nation.
A Favorite from November 21, 2008.
Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_Rape_of_Tamar_MET_LC-1984_342-1.jpg
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