Monday Reflection: December 10, 2007

Isaiah Reading today is all of Chapter 35 of this prophet's biblical book.

This is a reading that is well worth reading two or three times before you begin to reflect on its contents. The ten verses in this chapter are a spirit-lifter for anyone depressed, worried, concerned or beginning a retreat!

These are marvelous words of strengthening promise that God is present to the one seeking to know him, to one returning to the Lord after some absence.

I found this chapter so filled with connections to where I am in my life. It is an invitation to allow God to tell you how he is present in your life. The examples of changes in nature and in an individual life because of God's gift of salvation ... in the gift of his Son ... surely afford imagery that can easily link anyone trying to pray to the Father.

Anyone taking time with this chapter most likely will want to be on that "highway" that "shall be called the Holy Way (verse 5)." It is the road to God for the ransomed. "Sorrow and sighing shall flee away (verse 10)."

The imagery while of nature and human life is that of change. It is a call for us to change so that we can find ourselves basking in the joy and love of God on the "Holy Way." It is the way to everlasting joy because "the redeemed shall walk there (verse 9)."

There is much in these verses as we prepare for the celebration of the birth of the Child Jesus, our Lord and God. I pray for you that you will truly enjoy reading what Isaiah has written. Be the new life pictured in the old tree.

Second Sunday of Advent Reflecion: December 9, 2007

The lion and the lamb together in peace!

Already the 2nd Sunday of Advent. The celebration of the Christ Child's birth only two weeks and two days!

The first reading -- we are familiar with these Isaian words and the pictures they bring to mind -- has its strength from the way Isaiah presents the power of a new Messiah coming form the kingly lineage of Jesse, Saul and David. This reading also has its strength in the description of what we can can the reconciling of opposites.

What does this picture of a powerhouse Messiah and a new reconciled Eden where all is in order mean for you?

Two considerations: the sprouting from Jesse's lineage presents a Messiah to come whom most people could easily accept. Reading how the Father's spirit will endow him with wisdom, understanding, council and strength, knowledge and fear (might we say respect and awe) of the Father, who would not stand up and proclaim allegiance.

Now, especially in a world where war, division and true hatred of people are true dividers within our human family, who would not hope and pray for Islam, Judaism and Christianity to be the "guest" of each other? Who would not want to see the struggle and division brought about by the immigration factor ended so that "the calf and the young lion shall browse together" especially with a "little child to guide them?"

We are preparing for a day when the gift of the Father is born in a most unusual setting. If Christmas is to be what the Father wanted it to be, are we not called to accept the Jesus Child the Father gave us along his with teachings? Are not his teachings about justice and his call for us to trust in God what we should put before ourselves as we reflect upon the meaning of Christmas? Albeit some two thousand and seven years ago that this Messiah was born and then some 30 years later inaugurated his preaching , are we not called to effect Isaiah's vision of peace among all humankind?

So, we should ask: What have I done to strengthen my relationship with Jesus? What have I done to rebuild the "orderly life of Eden" in my family, my community, yes, even in my world?

There is no end to the sharing of love, and, therefore, the potential happiness of such love is without limit. Infinite sharing is the law of God's inner life. He has made the sharing of ourselves the law of our own being, so that it is in loving others that we best love ourselves.
.....................................................................Thomas Merton, No Man Is An Island

Immaculate Conception Reflection: December 8th

Conceived in the normal human manner and born as any human being, Mary, however, did not come to us with any deprivation of sanctifying grace. No original sin in her. This is what the angel Gabriel meant with the words, "Hail, full of grace." Thus throughout her life she did not experience in innate tendency toward evil, toward sin.

Sinning does not make us human; quite the opposite is true. When we are without sin, we are most fully what God intended us to be. We see this is Jesus, in Mary, Adam and Eve (before the supreme test, and the angels. The closest experience to this is young children before they reach the age of reason. Yet, it was God's desire when he created human beings, Adam and Eve, that they and their progeny should live an existence without any sin. But because of their sin, all of us except Jesus and Mary have come into this world with a natural inclination toward sin. Yet, we cannot forget the awesome response to that first sin in Eden's garden and all subsequent sins: the Father's gift to humanity, his Son, Jesus and his redemptive action.

This feast of the Immaculate Conception, while a Marian feast, is also an opportunity for each of us to focus upon the gift of the redemption in our lives. It is a gift from the Father, not allowing Mary to be burdened of that innate tendency or openness to sin. This feast and the reality it honors are reminders that God wants us to live out the destiny He has envisioned for each of us.

So, this feast day is an occasion to give thanks to God. It is also a day when, in our prayers we might center our attention on our own destiny: what is it that God wants of me? What are the grace-filled expectations we can fulfill along our spiritual journey.

God is speaking to you in a unique way today. Once He spoke to Mary through the angel, Gabriel. What is God saying to you today? Rest with these questions in your prayer today.

Father, fill our hearts with your grace:

at one time, through the message of an angel

You revealed to us the incarnation of your Son;

now, through His suffering and death

leads us to the glory of His resurrection. Amen

Friday Reflection: December 7, 2007

Reading through some homilies available on a number of websites or blogs, my attention has been drawn to a negative reality in many of these reflections on the Word of God. So often the focus is a protracted examination of one's past sinfulness. Why can we not move forward to look at the experience that is ours when, first, we thank God for the forgiveness won for us by his Son, and, second, look at how God might want us charging forward, filled with enthusiasm and excitement about and in Christianity and in particular our Catholic faith?

In the gospel today, Jesus questions two blind men who have come to him. Obviously they are seeking a cure for their blindness. Jesus addresses the issue as soon as he sees them coming to him: "Do you believe that I can do this [heal their blindness]?" Jesus' question might well be read as a little divine advice to the two blind men as well as to each of us. If these men believe that Jesus can heal their blindness, why should they worry about his healing them?

All Jesus asks of us is that we admit our sinfulness once ... not time and time again. Once a confession is made, when words admit sinfulness, a true believer will immediately begin to do the good that God has called him/her to do.

Your forgiveness will be real if you truly believe Jesus died for your sins. Accept this gift and move on to do good and to enrich others.

Thursday Reflection: December 6, 2007

Recently I began reading an account of a woman and her days of crisis. During one of this nights of sobbing, she made a decision. She would no longer remain in her negative thinking state of mind. She made a most unusual decision for herself. She started praying to God. For her a totally new experience, this praying to God. How different this encounter with the Unknown. She shared her story with her friends. Naturally one asked, "What is the God like?" Her answer you should always remember: "I believe in a magnificent God."We can easily drift into negative thinking for so many reasons ... usually dissatisfaction with something about ourselves, our lives, our work, our relationships. Many program themselves into negative thinking so often that it becomes a part of their lives. "A magnificent God" hardly becomes or continues to be a part of their lives. Each day, as you begin the morning, you have two choices: either you remind yourself of your God-given status of greatness, his anointed one, his gifted one, or you can recall and focus on the past and the times and moments that have taken the positive out of your life. Starting each day reminding yourself that your God is a magnificent God, you will soon feel the peace described by Isaiah in today's first reading. If you keep your mind focused on the good that God has given you or entrusted to you, prayer and a positive life will be yours. If you turn from set notions of thinking how unworthy you might be before God, realizing you are a forgiven person, your prayer will be so much stronger and so much more enjoyable and rewarding.

Summer Attack on Cardinal Mahony (L.A) Made Public

Just yesterday public announcement was made about an assault upon Cardinal Mahony just outside his Los Angeles Cathedral and his adjacent residence.

The following story was sent to me by a classmate. It source is unknown to me at this time.

Cardinal Roger Mahony was attacked last summer by one or more people apparently angered by the Roman Catholic Church's sexual-abuse scandal,according to priests who say they have heard him discuss the assault.Mahony, 71, told the priests about the attack during a conference inOctober, said the Rev. Joseph Shea, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Churchin Glendale. The cardinal said it occurred in late July or early August ashe was dropping off letters at a mailbox near Our Lady of the AngelsCathedral in downtown Los Angeles, Shea said."The comments people made as they kicked him were connected to the sexualabuse lawsuits," he told The Associated Press.Shea said Mahony was so badly beaten that the cardinal was hospitalized,and that it took him weeks to recover.Los Angeles Archdiocese spokeswoman Carolina Guevara declined to comment. "Whatever conversation might have taken place between the priests and their bishop was a private conversation and not meant to be public," Guevara said. Shea said Mahony did not report the attack to police "because he felt hecould offer it up in reparation for the sins of others. "Police Department Lt. Roger Mora said he had no knowledge of the apparent assault, which was first reported by the Los Angeles Daily News on Tuesday. The Rev. Sal Pilato, principal at Junipero Serra Catholic High School in Gardena, who was also at the conference, told the Daily News that Mahony's account was "shocking because it was an act of violence and it was someone we know and respect. "The church's $660 million settlement with 508 alleged victims was approved July 16. Mahony came under fire from victims and attorneys who said he moved sexually abusive priests to different parishes. Church officials have said Mahony tried to reach out to victims, meeting with many of them and their families.

Wednesday Reflection: December 5, 2007

Let it snow, let it snow!
The first reading, Isaiah 25: 6-10a, is a reminder of God's goodness and his concern that we be a "charged" people, that we be exciting women and men. Imagine the comfort and peace these prophetic words brought to the people. There is in these thoughts from Isaiah the promise of God's ever-loving care to prepare the people to understand how our God wants these people to live beyond their thoughts of the need for forgiveness. It is a reminder to us today to shed our feelings of guilt. We are reminded once again: "God has saved us; God has forgiven whatever failures or sins that may cloud our thinking, our living."

You know, there is a phrase in the Isaiah reading which I suggest each of us recall every morning, even before we put our feet to the floor for the first time of the new day. It is a reminder that we are truly a blessed, each of us. It is a reminder that God is more concerned about the destiny he has given us --- even before we were born into this world. Isaiah writes: "... let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us (verse 9)"

How often it happens that so many believers find it a struggle to pray, to dedicate themselves to a good and rewarding life. Why? Because they get tangled up with past sins and failures. They think of how wrong they were rather than how many almost unbelievable gifts God has given them just for living that day. I suggest that these good people allow a spiritual life of low esteem direct their thinking and all they do. Imagine what our world would be like if all of us spent several minutes each day reciting a new mantra: rejoice and be glad, I am forgiven and blessed with so much goodness by a loving God. He has called me by name. He has anointed me not to be a prophet of doom and gloom but, rather, to be a living witness of the greatness he has given me in my life. Rejoice and be glad!!!

Reflection: Tuesday, December 4, 2007

Today, please remember in your prayers Fr. Walter Lawrence, a priest of our Archdiocese, who was buried this morning. As well, please remember his Mom, Betty Jean and his sister Jeannine and her family. Also you might pray for the people of St. Mary's Church, Barnesville, MD, where Fr. Lawrence served as Pastor. You may recall an earlier posting where prayers were asked for him as he struggled with acute leukemia.
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Today, our first reading gives us a sense of the Advent theme of preparation. We read Isaiah's words about the root of Jesse which really is an encouragement for us to be rooted in Christ Jesus. That rootedness is actually a call for you and me to be a witness in a unique way. Be open to what it might be that God can accomplish through us.

If we recall throughout the day, at different times, that God made us. That he made us for a purpose, for a goal which came with us. Ours is the challenge to know that purpose as best as we can and to let that purpose be the impetus that drives us forward to carry out the will of God in our lives. Rooted in Christ Jesus we should never forget that it means we have been called by name. We have been anointed as his followers. Mindful of these aspects of our lives, we should find our lives to be a positive experience that enables us to be great people. Do you think about this each day? Perhaps, like so many, we focus upon what we may have done wrong, how we may have failed at a particular assignment and so on. In doing that are we really recognizing that we are rooted in Christ Jesus.

Reflection: December 3, 2007

St. Francis Xavier, SJ

Imagine walking down Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Washington, DC, today. A fellow, bearded, approaches you and says to you, "What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life?” (Matthew 16:26) What would be your reaction?

This is precisely what happened to Francis Xavier. Ignatius Loyola saw the young man, went up to him and put the question to him. Xavier could easily have walked away, thinking Ignatius was a crazed street preacher. However, that is not what happened. That one question changed one man's life as well as thousands of others who came to know the man after his ordination to the priesthood and ultimately his departing to mission lands.

No doubt all of us have moments when events seem so out of place. Many times we write them off as insignificant, repulsive, annoying etc. We don't pay too much attention to the event. Imagine what would have happened had Xavier walked away from Ignatius?

In fact it was not simply and encounter with Ignatius that Xavier had. It was an encounter with Jesus Christ. That is why we have to be opened and sensitive to statements that others might make to us. So many times God is speaking to us, calling us to follow him in a particular way ... through the questions or observations of others ... through unusual events that occur in one's life.

Quite frankly, these days of rest and recuperation have something of this encounter with Jesus Christ for me. I could easily pass off the sudden need for my by-pass surgery as simply a physical debilitation that happened to my heart. Indeed, it was an operation that was needed. However, it has become for me a calling, an encounter with Jesus Christ which I was not prepared to have. To be told that I should have been dead because of the condition with three blood vessels that were 99% blocked. God, in this event, surely has given me an opportunity to delve more deeply into the question mentioned in Sunday's reflection: Who am I? Who is God?

Events, hopefully not as serious as what I went through, may come into your lives. Like Francis Xavier, will you take the occasion to be open to God's voice, to God's calling, to his message? I can, you can walk away from his need to have us see him in a new way. If we do fail to see, to listen to what he is saying to you, to me, we are the ones who are the losers. We give up the opportunity to encounter God as never before.

We don't need scripture to assist our prayer today. Simply reflect on the life of Xavier and how a single sentence met an opened heart. Consider all that the Church has gained because one man said, I will follow you.

Reflection: 1st Sunday of Advent

Late delivery of this morning's reflection!

Today, the 1st Sunday of Advent, calls us the an awareness of the new life that God is giving us through and in the birth of Jesus Christ. As we are beginning something new, a new liturgical year, there is thought that is proposed by Fr. Michael Hines, priest of the Diocese of Brooklyn teaching at Boston College. I would like to share this concept that is presented in Fr. Hines' book, Doing the Truth in Love. You may find it outrageous, you may find it interesting, you may find it a good way of think about God when you are praying or reading the Scriptures.

Fr. Hines starts the first chapter exploring the mystery of God. He asks "Who am I?" "Who are you?" Try as we may --- usually giving adjectives, descriptions, histories, names, where you have lived, major accomplishments and so on. It is the question of the Caterpillar in Alice in Wonderland. Carroll's Caterpillar is not asking for description but for definition.

Hines says to a group of people discussing the mystery of God in a seminar that the real problem is "that we don't know (page 8)." He says it is a question without an answer. He points to Augustine who once wrote: "Who is Augustine?" Hines reflects: "He knew that he could not answer the question because the moment he did, he became more than he had said in his answer and so made the answer false (page 8)." If I could tell you who I am with a simple, powerful sentence, that very answer makes me something more that I was. So that answer I give is not exactly correct. As Hines states clearly, "The very attempt to answer that question pushes me past any answer I can give to the question (page 8)."

Speaking about God as mystery, which we know is a reality, is indeed something that is impossible to answer. An answer to the question "Who is God?" is also impossible. Why? Not because God is so very distant but because our God is so close to each one of us. And pondering a little about the "Who am I?" and "Who is God?" we come to realize there is a such a close connectedness to the two questions and that we really find it impossible to answer the question "Who is God?" What we do know, however, is that we are asking about absolute mystery.

Whatever image comes to your mind when your hear or read the word "God" "is not God (page 9)." It cannot be correct because if you could describe God, wouldn't you be limiting God? Wouldn't you be removing absolute mystery? Yet, we use the word so many times in our prayers, discussions, etc.. But what we are in effect doing is using the word "as a handy bit of shorthand for the absolute mystery" that is the basis for all we believe.

Our Christian heritage has handed on the belief that no matter how we might attempt to describe God, the one sure and very simple answer to the God question is found in the 1st Letter of John, chapter four, verses 8 and 16 (are you ready?). St. John gives the answer in three words: God is love. For St. John the particular kind of love is described with the Greek word: agape. You have heard the word, no doubt, many times. It is a Greek word with this meaning: "love which is purely other-directed (page 10)." As Hines writes, this kind of love never looks for something in return; it does not want anything back for the love given. It is easily defined as "pure self-gift."

The story of the Prodigal Son, especially at the closing of the story, models this kind of love. Recall that the older brother was grousing that the reprobate brother had come back and received all the attention. The older son sees his father's actions as an example of injustice. But the loving father is not concerned with any of the mores of the time as to how this returned son should be treated. The prodigal father is only concerned with agape for his younger son. It was his "absolute unconditional self-gift."

Now to what I want to offer as a challenging but rewarding insight for our thinking and prayer as we begin the Advent journey. Our tradition, as presented by St. John says that our God is love, not that God is one who loves. What? What does this mean?

"Love" is not the name given to a person, e.g. "priest" might be one name given to me. "'Love' is the name of a relationship between persons. That, I suggest to you, is the single richest insight into the mystery of God that the Christian tradition has to offer (page 15)."

Here now is the real challenge to you and me and our understanding of God as we have learned it, understood it and even taught it. You may think it a "weird, silly statement (page 16)." Hines writes that understand God as relationship "seems to imply that we should first think of God not as a person but as a relationship between persons. Is our calling upon the Trinity (in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit) actually not a statement that God is a person but is the relationship between three (page 16)?

"The word 'God' is the name of a kind of communal relationship. God is not the one, God is the relatedness of the three (page 16)."

Stressing that the Trinity is the central Christian doctrine, Hines writes the following:

Notice the way in which the creed has traditionally been organized. We do not actually say that we believe in the Trinity. Rather, the who creed is a trinitarian statement. "We believe in God the Father, who ...," followed by the doctrines of creation and providence. "And in God the Son who...," followed by the doctrines of the incarnation, redemption, and resurrection. "And in God the Spirit who ...," followed by statements of belief in scripture, the church, sacraments, and eschatology (pages 16-17).

Hines makes clear that he sees that the meaning of the word "God" is "an eternal outpouring of self, a continual giving which is accepted and returned in continual giving, and the Spirit, that which unites the Lover and the Beloved, is agape (page 17)."

A challenging reflection, no doubt. But, as we prepare to celebrate that experience of "unconditional self-gift" of the Father to us in his Son, does not this insight into an understanding of the word "God" as the best human expression of that reality not give you a deeper awareness of how blessed we are our Father has given us the relationship that he is with his Son and the Holy Spirit ... and, ultimately with you, with me, your children, my siblings etc. Does not this insight give so much more understanding of the phrase we use so often: "God is love." The Father loves you and me so unrestrictedly that he establishes a God-relationship with each of us. Are we not singularly blessed?

Hope this was not too heavy! Happy 1st Sunday of Advent.