Wow! These readings are crazy! Twice through and I still cannot make any sense. I even struggle with the psalm "A just judge is God, a judge who punishes day by day." and to almost take delight in the vengeance of God in the last verse of the first reading. I find it increasingly difficult to identify with these images of an Old Testament God. In the Gospel, is Jesus stirring the pot or what? It is obvious it is not yet Jesus time -- no more arguing, yet they weren't ready to turn him in, so each went to his own house. So be it. That is probably the line that makes the most sense to me. I can't help but think that on some level the people in Jesus' time knew they were in the presence of something great -- at minimum, something unusual. When you don't understand, it is often best to step back and ponder, give it a little time. Listen, pray and walk by faith with an ear open to the call -- so, each to his own house. . .
May Sunday's readings make a lot more sense!
Love,
MOM
Friday, March 15, 2013
Thursday, March 14, 2013
Friday, March 15, 2013
R. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted.
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
These are the words I will take away from the Readings of today. These words speak of the respect and deep love God has for the poor and down-trodden. There is almost a reverence for them in the line that "not one of 'their bones' shall be broken." The same was true of Christ when he was found to be dead on the cross. Not a one of his bones were broken.
This is the way we are called to treat the poor and it looks like our Pope Francis may have a very similar respect and reverence for them and be more pastoral and less theological and philosophical. The poor and oppressed are all around us; they may be sad and hurting, but financially well off. They may simply be oppressed and living in this country without the rights and gifts that we take for granted. How are we being called to be close to the brokenhearted?
He watches over all his bones;
not one of them shall be broken.
These are the words I will take away from the Readings of today. These words speak of the respect and deep love God has for the poor and down-trodden. There is almost a reverence for them in the line that "not one of 'their bones' shall be broken." The same was true of Christ when he was found to be dead on the cross. Not a one of his bones were broken.
This is the way we are called to treat the poor and it looks like our Pope Francis may have a very similar respect and reverence for them and be more pastoral and less theological and philosophical. The poor and oppressed are all around us; they may be sad and hurting, but financially well off. They may simply be oppressed and living in this country without the rights and gifts that we take for granted. How are we being called to be close to the brokenhearted?
Thursday March 14th 2013
Happy Pi Day!
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031413.cfm
Wow, I am finding it really difficult to connect to today's readings. I read them twice and both times I felt like saying so what. I often struggles to connect to the images of God portrayed and provided in the Old Testament. This idea that God is wrathful or vengeful so contradicts the images of God I have come to love. I understand the historical significance and I get that they were trying to provide and image that would help them to better understand their own suffering, but I have to admit I am more comforted by the idea that when I suffer, or when I am experiencing pain, sorrow, or grief, it is not because God is angry and causing revenge, but because I am human living in an imperfect world and God is not standing by critiquing my suffering but rather, she is holding my hand and embracing my pain, experiencing it with me. I think this is why I butt heads with John's Gospel messages so often. It is easier for me to love and embrace the human images of God in total perfection than it is to embrace an image of God that is untouchable. This leads to the quote I pulled:
“I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
It is easy to be swayed into loving and believing false of God displayed in our culture. To put all your faith in something human rather than in the belief that a loving creator is pulsing through us, enabling us to become the best versions of ourselves and willing us to connect with our total completion regardless of the hardships and pain we may experience along the way. What is your image of God? Who do you choose to believe? What do you choose to see?
Love
Laura
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031413.cfm
Wow, I am finding it really difficult to connect to today's readings. I read them twice and both times I felt like saying so what. I often struggles to connect to the images of God portrayed and provided in the Old Testament. This idea that God is wrathful or vengeful so contradicts the images of God I have come to love. I understand the historical significance and I get that they were trying to provide and image that would help them to better understand their own suffering, but I have to admit I am more comforted by the idea that when I suffer, or when I am experiencing pain, sorrow, or grief, it is not because God is angry and causing revenge, but because I am human living in an imperfect world and God is not standing by critiquing my suffering but rather, she is holding my hand and embracing my pain, experiencing it with me. I think this is why I butt heads with John's Gospel messages so often. It is easier for me to love and embrace the human images of God in total perfection than it is to embrace an image of God that is untouchable. This leads to the quote I pulled:
“I do not accept human praise;
moreover, I know that you do not have the love of God in you.
I came in the name of my Father,
but you do not accept me;
yet if another comes in his own name,
you will accept him.
It is easy to be swayed into loving and believing false of God displayed in our culture. To put all your faith in something human rather than in the belief that a loving creator is pulsing through us, enabling us to become the best versions of ourselves and willing us to connect with our total completion regardless of the hardships and pain we may experience along the way. What is your image of God? Who do you choose to believe? What do you choose to see?
Love
Laura
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Wednesday March 13th 2013
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031313.cfm
I love the images of new life and growth that come with spring and the nearing of Easter. The first reading is rich with contrast between darkness and light between death and life. The writer takes everyday images and experiences and highlights their impact on our own faith journey. As Easter approaches, our earth begins to thaw, the days begin to gain length with more light exposure and the world begins to awaken to a new life and a new year. I think in many ways spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love the blossoms on the trees and the awakening of the early flowers and the smell of the rain. Spring is a time in which the earth heals from a long or short winter. It is a time when nature give's birth to the next generation of inhabitants. Spring for me is a time for hope and I love that Easter is a key marker of this time. It is a time to renew or promise and commitment to God, so that we can better love and serve one and other.
Love
Laura
I love the images of new life and growth that come with spring and the nearing of Easter. The first reading is rich with contrast between darkness and light between death and life. The writer takes everyday images and experiences and highlights their impact on our own faith journey. As Easter approaches, our earth begins to thaw, the days begin to gain length with more light exposure and the world begins to awaken to a new life and a new year. I think in many ways spring is one of my favorite seasons. I love the blossoms on the trees and the awakening of the early flowers and the smell of the rain. Spring is a time in which the earth heals from a long or short winter. It is a time when nature give's birth to the next generation of inhabitants. Spring for me is a time for hope and I love that Easter is a key marker of this time. It is a time to renew or promise and commitment to God, so that we can better love and serve one and other.
Love
Laura
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Water certainly abounds in all of these readings. Maybe it is not a coincidence that today we are going to soak in the hot pools. In this land where it has miles of coastline and massive rivers and all this snow that will eventually melt into one ginormous puddle -- it's pretty amazing! Water is probably the one essential ingredient in life that we cannot do without for survival and it is a joy to have it for recreation as well. Jesus did not need it to heal the ill man. He was healed because of his faith and persistence. Jesus can do so much, for us as well, if we only have faith.
Short, sweet and crisp today!
Love you!
MOM
Short, sweet and crisp today!
Love you!
MOM
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Monday March 11th
http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/031113.cfm
Today's readings offer a foreshadowed effect to the events to come over Easter. The line: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth" from the first reading offers the same sentiment of symbolism that resides in the Easter event. In the first creation story, God created the world from nothingness. All things created were good. In this new image of creation, God does not start with nothing, but takes God's own beloved creation and creates a new vision for God's people here on earth. This begins this calling to celebrate and build the kingdom here on earth.
This is an interesting time to be thinking about the Easter calling and the Kingdom as we are currently a Church without its shepherd. It took 600 years for the Church to be lea by a pope who was able to understand that the position is not one that is meant to be held until death, but rather a calling or a pastoral position of guidance and leadership that is meant to be maintained until the one is no longer able to lead the faithful. A lot of my co-workers have been critical of Pope Benedict's choice to "abdicate" his throne. By of their problem is they see it just as that, a "throne" and position of political power, a coveted title to hold until death. So many people assume they understand the Church because they have a basic sense of its structure, they've seen a movie or two, read scathing articles about current world issues in which the Church has not upheld its mission. Its unfortunate that the things people remember the most are the things we are the least proud of. People focus on our short comings instead of looking at the big picture.
God sees the entire picture. God sees us in our entirety even though each day we are in the process of becoming more. God envisioned a world built on the foundation of love filled with a people willing to serve one and other. What are the ways in which we bring joy to the kingdom? How do we enrich the loves of others? I think these are the questions we need to reflect on as we enter into this time of discernment and contemplation in the finals weeks of Lent.
Hope you are having a fantastic time in Alaska!
Love
Laura
Today's readings offer a foreshadowed effect to the events to come over Easter. The line: Lo, I am about to create new heavens and a new earth" from the first reading offers the same sentiment of symbolism that resides in the Easter event. In the first creation story, God created the world from nothingness. All things created were good. In this new image of creation, God does not start with nothing, but takes God's own beloved creation and creates a new vision for God's people here on earth. This begins this calling to celebrate and build the kingdom here on earth.
This is an interesting time to be thinking about the Easter calling and the Kingdom as we are currently a Church without its shepherd. It took 600 years for the Church to be lea by a pope who was able to understand that the position is not one that is meant to be held until death, but rather a calling or a pastoral position of guidance and leadership that is meant to be maintained until the one is no longer able to lead the faithful. A lot of my co-workers have been critical of Pope Benedict's choice to "abdicate" his throne. By of their problem is they see it just as that, a "throne" and position of political power, a coveted title to hold until death. So many people assume they understand the Church because they have a basic sense of its structure, they've seen a movie or two, read scathing articles about current world issues in which the Church has not upheld its mission. Its unfortunate that the things people remember the most are the things we are the least proud of. People focus on our short comings instead of looking at the big picture.
God sees the entire picture. God sees us in our entirety even though each day we are in the process of becoming more. God envisioned a world built on the foundation of love filled with a people willing to serve one and other. What are the ways in which we bring joy to the kingdom? How do we enrich the loves of others? I think these are the questions we need to reflect on as we enter into this time of discernment and contemplation in the finals weeks of Lent.
Hope you are having a fantastic time in Alaska!
Love
Laura
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Wednesday of the Third Week of Lent, March 6, 2013
I love the way the readings work together so well this Lent. And, I am amazed how quickly this Lent is speeding by. Today's readings are so rich it is truly difficult to pick out several lines or a specific focus, . . . But, I am struck by a single line in the Responsorial Psalm: For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; For me, this line connects with so much in the First Reading as well as the Gospel.
What are the bars of our gates? Well, certainly our Faith, that "the LORD, our God, is so close to us whenever we call upon him." We can with confidence make decisions to live the gospel. When tested we can pray for the strength to see all people as Children of God and treat them with tenderness especially when they are most vulnerable. When we affirm we build the future of our Church and our world, adding more strength to the bars of our gates.
Another obvious bar in our gates is the statues and decrees which have been created anew in the commandments which Jesus spoke of to his disciples in the Gospel. "Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." I would struggle to name all 10 Commandments in order, but I can with certainty remember number one, and if I live the commandment to Love One Another, I have the others all covered. We are all teachers and teach best by example, thus the Lord says in the First Reading, "I am teaching you to observe, that you may live". We must live to love our God and all human kind -- for me, that hits all 10.
A very important, but less obvious bar is "not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live." To not forget is to Re-member, and to take to heart what we have experienced -- the bad and the good. A memory which we are so grateful to have been able to give all of you as children is that of our first back-packing trip -- memories of faith, support trust in a God who loves us, and of doing without, not to mention the sheer beauty in this world which has been entrusted to our care. But we must also not forget our mistakes so as to not make them over and over again. We remember our transgressions, times when we have been hurt, when we have hurt others, when we have been slow to forgive, the pain that we have witnessed in our world as well as the joyful times we have been gifted. We must remember and allow these memories to strengthen the bars in our gates so as to effect our life today.
So, what are the bars of your gates and how can you strengthen during this remaining Lenten season?
Love,
MOM
What are the bars of our gates? Well, certainly our Faith, that "the LORD, our God, is so close to us whenever we call upon him." We can with confidence make decisions to live the gospel. When tested we can pray for the strength to see all people as Children of God and treat them with tenderness especially when they are most vulnerable. When we affirm we build the future of our Church and our world, adding more strength to the bars of our gates.
Another obvious bar in our gates is the statues and decrees which have been created anew in the commandments which Jesus spoke of to his disciples in the Gospel. "Whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven." I would struggle to name all 10 Commandments in order, but I can with certainty remember number one, and if I live the commandment to Love One Another, I have the others all covered. We are all teachers and teach best by example, thus the Lord says in the First Reading, "I am teaching you to observe, that you may live". We must live to love our God and all human kind -- for me, that hits all 10.
A very important, but less obvious bar is "not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live." To not forget is to Re-member, and to take to heart what we have experienced -- the bad and the good. A memory which we are so grateful to have been able to give all of you as children is that of our first back-packing trip -- memories of faith, support trust in a God who loves us, and of doing without, not to mention the sheer beauty in this world which has been entrusted to our care. But we must also not forget our mistakes so as to not make them over and over again. We remember our transgressions, times when we have been hurt, when we have hurt others, when we have been slow to forgive, the pain that we have witnessed in our world as well as the joyful times we have been gifted. We must remember and allow these memories to strengthen the bars in our gates so as to effect our life today.
So, what are the bars of your gates and how can you strengthen during this remaining Lenten season?
Love,
MOM
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