forbearance – The Noontimes

1 Peter 4:1-11: A Prayer for Mutual Charity

1 Peter 4:1-11: A Prayer for Mutual Charity

Tuesday, May 7, 2024

St_Peter_Besenzi — *Paolo Emilio Besenzi: Saint Peter*

Peter exhorts the early Christians to regard their persecution as a blessing, and today’s Noontime reading describes how those in community bear with one another, how they celebrate their diverse gifts, and how they are to stand on God’s authority rather than their own. Peter calls his flock to mutual understanding, forbearance, purity and love. And he also calls us today.

God of Abraham, God of Peter, we say that we are willing to serve your purposes, the purposes for which you have designed us. Help us to keep faith with your hope in us. We know that we are wonderfully made, and that you have plans for us – plans for our joy and not our woe.

God of Abraham, God of Peter, we know that our fellow travelers are also wonderfully made. We also know that when we walk together, you call on us to bring forth the best in one another. Help us to be open to our fellow pilgrims as we journey toward you. Help us to remember that in the life of the Spirit there is always an opportunity for a new beginning.

God of Abraham, God of Peter, bless us, hear our petitions, heal us, bind us together in you. We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Image from: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:St_Peter_Besenzi.jpg

Adapted from a Favorite written on July 31, 2007.

May 7, 2024

community, early Christians, forbearance, love, purity, understanding

Psalm 92: A Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Fidelity

Monday, November 23, 2020

Psalm 92

A Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Fidelity

Fidelity: faithfulness, loyalty, patience, understanding, questioning and answering, dialog, forbearance, union, love.

From St. Joseph Edition of The Psalms notes: This is a didactic psalm, that is, both a praise of the Lord and an instruction of the faithful. The psalmist meditates on God’s way of acting. His love and faithfulness are reflected in everything he does, but they must be comprehended. Ultimately the happiness of the wicked will fade like seasonal grass, whereas the lot of the righteous will be like the great trees whose roots are planted on solid ground. For the latter, new seasons are promised in the courts of God. God’s joy is like a new spring in the life of believers.

Again our theme of renewal. Again the idea that a righteous life is more difficult to live than a wicked one, but that true serenity and joy is found by struggling to live a life of justice.

I like the point in the citation above that God’s acts are a demonstration of his love and fidelity and that we must strive to comprehend this idea . . . an idea which is so difficult for so many humans . . . because fidelity is such a demanding quality . . . and we humans appear to be much too fickle and willful to comprehend its depth and true meaning.

Each day as we go through each hour, how do we as God’s creatures express God’s fidelity? How do we express God’s love? Are we faithful when it is convenient or when we have the time or energy? Do we love those who please us most? We recall Paul’s words to Timothy: I remember you constantly in prayers, night and day. I yearn to see you again, recalling your tears, so that I may be filled with joy, as I recall your sincere faith . . . (2 Timothy 1:3-4) This is the same letter in which Paul states that he is already poured out like a libation and there are times when we feel this pouring out rather than gratitude. But when we look at verse 3 of this psalm we see again the idea of loving God faithfully by praying day and night. And when we are spent . . . we might at least raise eyes and hands to heaven to thank God, and to ask that God lighten our load.

Prayer and petition are important as we near and enter into Advent, even when we feel spent. When we come to the end of an exhausting day, we can light one small candle in the darkness which comes so quickly at this time of year in our northern hemisphere, and we can repeat the antiphon we find as part of the Liturgy of the Hours Night Prayer: Protect us, Lord, as we stay awake; watch over as we sleep, that awake, we may keep watch with Christ, and asleep, rest in his peace, alleluia.

With this simple act and prayer we might remain faithful . . . even though we are spent. And so we pray . . .

We know that you watch over us, O Lord. Grace us with the patience and perseverance to keep hopeful watch with you . . . as faithfully as you keep wonder-filled watch with us. We ask this in Jesus’ name, together with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

THE PSALMS, NEW CATHOLIC VERSION. Saint Joseph Edition. New Jersey: Catholic Book Publishing Company, 2004. 243. Print.

Image from: http://brotherdismas.blogspot.com/2011/05/saturday-of-4th-week-in-easter.html

Adapted from a reflection written on December 4, 2007.

November 23, 2020

2 Timothy 1:3-4, dialog, exhaustion, faithfulness, forbearance, Liturgy of the Hours, love, loyalty, patience, understanding, union

James 3:13-18: Authentic Wisdom

James 3:13-18: Authentic Wisdom

Friday, December 6, 2019

I love this letter. We do not visit it often enough. Today’s reading is particularly interesting to me as I notice that in my Spanish Biblia verse 16 the Spanish is envidia (envy) rather than celos (jealousy). Thus in the Spanish version of James, we are called to put aside our envy – our wanting others to suffer loss – rather than mere jealousy – our wanting what others have. James is the patron saint of Spain – I wonder if they know him better than we English speakers do.

The reason I enjoy reading James is that he is so plain. There is no wondering about his words. He goes to the root causes of division and he makes strong suggestions for a positive change. He sees our obstacles as: pride, presumption, loose tongues, ambition, material goods. He recommends patience, forbearance, firmness of heart, perseverance, humility, confession, union with God.

From yesterday’s MAGNIFICAT Meditation by Jean Vanier: Many of us live in delusion about ourselves, unable to see ourselves as we really are. The veil [that prevents our encounter with Jesus] has to be broken somewhere in our deep inner being . . . Jesus is the healer, the One who comes to bring me life and liberate me from myself. He comes to heal me from my egoism, from aggressiveness. He comes to heal me from my anguish . . . It is a beautiful thing to meet people in deep anguish, who are able to say . . . that they are beginning to find peace . . . They know what it is to find pass from death to life. They know the quiet experience of the healing power of the Spirit.

James brings us the opportunity to take a long, hard look at ourselves. James lays out the parameters for living of life of Christ rather than a life outside of Christ. It is not difficult to discern our path once we take off our blinders.

It is the removal of the blinders that is difficult.

It is the taking down of the illusion that we resist.

It is the deconstructing all the ramparts of our fear that we have built up so earnestly that we reject. It is the disassembling of our false god that we have woven so meticulously that we fear.

What brings us healing? What brings us peace?

It is the coming to Christ with nothing but our actions.

It is the rising to the true challenge and purpose of our lives.

It is the revelation of ourselves unashamedly to our God.

It is the humbling of ourselves.

It is the asking of God for the strength to do his will.

This is what brings healing. This is what brings peace.

This baring of naked self leads to authenticity . . . This authenticity invites wisdom.

This wisdom engenders a life into which Christ easily steps.

For more on Authenticity, click on the image above or go to: http://elementsofyourlife.blogspot.com/2012/05/live-your-life-with-authenticity.html

Cameron, Peter John, Rev., ed. “Meditation for the Day.” MAGNIFICAT. 4 November 2008. Print.

LA BIBLIA DE LA AMÉRICA. 8th. Madrid: La Casa de la Biblia, 1994. Print.

Written on November 4, 2008 and posted today as a Favorite.

December 6, 2019

confession, delusions, envy, firmness of heart, forbearance, He recommends patience, humility, jealousy, Jean Vanier, perseverance, taking down walls, union with God

Tag: forbearance

1 Peter 4:1-11: A Prayer for Mutual Charity

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Psalm 92: A Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Fidelity

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James 3:13-18: Authentic Wisdom

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