REFLECTIONS ON AN OPENING PRAYER
“Father, will you please offer an opening prayer for us?”
“Thank you. I will be happy to.”
“God, our Father, at this very moment you, with the Son and Holy Spirit, are alive, present and active within each of us. In an act of your creating love you sustain us in being, giving us a created share in your uncreated life. As we gather to deliberate how to act for the good of your church and all of your creation make us aware that when we strive to act with prudence, love and humility we are doing your will. Amen.”
When you enter into prayerful conversation with God where is the God to whom you direct your attention? Our tradition is ancient and deeply rooted in us – Jesus ascended into heaven. And so our imaginations place God “up there” in heaven. And no doubt he is up there, or out there, indeed every there, everywhere. But we also have a tradition that tells us that God, Father Son and Holy Spirit dwells within. Can we say with a much conviction that God is within us and that praying is an inside job?
When we enter one of our Catholic churches and see a sanctuary light burning near the tabernacle it is easy to turn our minds to an attitude of prayer for we know that Jesus Christ is really present at this moment in this place. How many times have we said that the prayerful atmosphere of our churches flows from the real Presence of Jesus in the tabernacle.
A question for you. Is that same Jesus, along with the Father and Holy Spirit, any less really present within you at this moment than he was present in the tabernacle the last time you were in church? If we listen to the Scriptures we do not hear Jesus mentioning that he will be present in our church tabernacles, but he does promise us that he will dwell within us.
What a wonderful gift we have in the real presence of the Sacramental Jesus in our churches. What a privilege to be able to “make a visit” and enter into prayerful conversation with our risen Lord as he awaits us in the silence of his church home.
Would you consider it an even greater gift to be a tabernacle of the real presence of Jesus? Would you consider it an even greater gift to realize that there is no need to “go to church” to be in the real Presence of Jesus, but that no matter where you are you are in the real Presence of that Jesus who promised to be really present within each of us?
Do you think it would be enriching as you enter into Centering Prayer to be able to center on the dark silence within and rest in the Jesus who is really there awaiting you?
Spirit of Love
FROM SUFFERING TO COMPASSION
To be a “child of the light´ is to be mindful, awake, and attentive to the presence of God. Most of us remember the story of the two disciples on their way to the town of Emmaus, - the one that recounts an encounter between the risen Christ and the two disciples. It is a good example of a journey from suffering to compassion.
…The “darkness” of the two disciples (who do not recognize the stranger on the road as Jesus) is the result of their being overwhelmed by Jesus’ death. They are dispersed and blinded by their sadness. It is not sin that blinds them; it is worry and sorrow, the lack of mindfulness. Using Thay’s words, they have not been able to touch the living Christ in the midst of their suffering. Jesus, however, does not abandon them in their sadness. He walks with them along the way. He is present to them even when they are not present to themselves. His walking meditation waters their seeds of mindfulness, inviting them to leave behind the pain of the past and to come home to the present moment.
Once they reach their village, they invite the “stranger” into their home. This single act of hospitality breaks into their dispersion, bringing them back home to the present moment. Gradually the situation begins to change. “Stay with us,” they say to him. These words evoke the biblical references to God’s faithful and eternal presence, a presence made possible each moment through the Holy Spirit. So in a way, almost without knowing it, the disciples are brought back to their practice of mindfulness through their hospitality. Immediately their suffering is lessened, they wake up from the sluggishness of their sadness. “When you become mindful, understanding and loving, you suffer much less,” says Thay. By inviting a stranger in to stay with them, to share a meal with them, they begin their own inner journey back home. Their blindness, brought on by the overwhelming sadness of the death of their dear friend and teacher, is beginning to give way to a new insight.
As the disciples’ hearts begin to find inner calm and peace, their eyes begin to open. “Practice seeing with the eyes of compassion,” says Thay, “and you suffer much less...” The ‘eyes of compassion’ means the eyes that look and understand. …The story from Luke’s Gospel goes on to say that, as Jesus broke the bread and shared it with them at the table, “their eyes were opened and they recognized him.” (24:30-31). The two disciples had moved from mindless suffering to mindful compassion. Their previous blindness and feeling of being overwhelmed by the darkness of their suffering blossomed into a moment of renewed seeing, a deep awakening in the Holy Spirit to the presence of the risen, living Christ. Their experience of Christ’s presence, made tangible through the eucharistic breaking of the bread, gave the present moment a new sense of fullness. (We Walk the Path Together. Brian Pierce, O.P., p33-34)
Blessed Are
You, Lord Our God,
Who Delights
Us With the Wonder of Wind.
Father of Ten Thousand Gifts,
we are grateful for the invisible wonder of wind,
for that playful spirit of nature
that drives kites heavenward,
carries away balloons on invisible fingers
and twirls windmills joyfully.
We rejoice in this marvel, the wind,
bearer of seeds, waver of flags and banners,
carrier of clouds and sea-spray
and messenger of God: as holy wind, the Holy Spirit.
We rejoice in that Holy Spirit
who surrounded Mount Sinai with wind, smoke, and fire
when holy Moses met You face to face.
For the breeze which held the voice of God
that called Elijah from his cave of hiding,
for the wind upon which rode the tongues of fire
that came upon Jesus’ friends after His ascension to You,
we are grateful.
For all these gifts of the wind,
the dance master of yellow leaves
and bringer of spring rains,
for the wind itself which we feel upon our bodies,
we are thankful;
and we praise You, Spirit Supreme,
by enjoying on this day
Your holy creature and sacred singing sign,
the wind.
Blessed are You, Lord our God,
who delights us with the wonder of wind.
Amen
From Prayers for the Domestic Church by Ed Hays
"Used with permission from NCRonline.org, a service of
the National Catholic Reporter Publishing Co."
by Friar Jim Van Vurst, O.F.M.
The Word Holiness Can Discourage Us
The word holiness
can have a discouraging effect on people. Some immediately dismiss it, perhaps
a bit sadly, since they believe that whatever it is, holiness is way beyond
their reach. They think of their failures and sins, and figure that if they
could only get rid of them, then they could start thinking about holiness.
Others become frustrated since they have sincerely tried most of their lives to
be holy and, in the end, see themselves as advancing nowhere near holiness.
Finally, others link holiness with saints’ lives and think: Well, there is no
contest. After all, that’s why they are saints and we’re not.
Given all those difficulties, it’s no wonder that many
believe that their busy but humdrum lives weigh them down like cinderblocks
tied to their ankles. Though it is understandable to think that way, it draws a
totally false conclusion because the initial premise is wrong. First of all,
people mistakenly link holiness with perfection. It’s like they say,
"Well, I’m not holy enough to be holy." There are no perfect people,
and there are no perfect saints. Saints would be the first ones to proclaim
their failings and sins.
Holiness
and the Will of God
But once you understand WHAT holiness truly is, then the HOW
about holiness is simple.
Ready for the answer? Holiness is union with God. And how do
we become holy? Simply by seeking God’s will in our lives! Now I can hear the
complaints: "It’s too complicated for me. I’m not a theologian";
"I’ve got three children under 12 and I’m short on patience"; "I
have two teenagers"; "My husband left me"; "I’m out of
work"; "I struggle with sex and sexuality"; "I’m not sure I
trust God’s will because it’s going to make my life even harder";
"I’m an alcoholic." But the above objections are not really blocks to
seeking God’s will. Finding God’s will? It is right before our eyes.
How? Simple. Ask yourself right now what God wants you to do
this moment. Well, right now you are reading this column. Nothing wrong with that,
is there? You are in God’s will. What will you do afterwards? And for this we
find that God’s will is right before my eyes if I ask, "What does my life
right now call me to do?" Whether you are a working mom, a housewife, a
single person working at a job, a divorced man or woman, a husband at his job
or looking for work, myself as a priest and friar, we are all called to do
something. And I know that 99% of the time. I don’t have to go to the Bible to
find out nor do I need to have a theology degree. I simply have to ask myself,
"What am I called to do?" Of course, our obligations come first; no
surprise about that. But God is not calling us to great self-denial and
penances. He’s just reminding us what we do most of the time naturally. It’s about
anything we do that is not sinful. Going to the beauty shop, playing golf on a
weekend (men, maybe check with your wives first), relaxing on the front porch,
cooking a meal, driving to work, or whatever you are doing. In fact, anything
that is not a sin—and we are pretty smart in knowing what is and is not a
sin—is perfectly all right.
(Continued on Page 5)
Holiness
Is Open to Everyone
Now this sounds so ordinary and so simple that it’s almost
absurd. We exclaim, "Well, anyone could do that!" That’s exactly my point.
In fact, that is basically the road the saints followed. But you will not be
called to go to New Guinea to preach the gospel; you will likely never be
called to lay down your life for your faith. You are called to do the ordinary
things of your everyday life in meeting your duties and obligations and
enjoying those things that you know are not wrong or sinful.
Does it mean you do so perfectly? Of course not. For all of
the holiness of the saints, not a single one was perfect. If we commit a
sin—and who doesn’t?—that doesn’t mean we are no longer holy or that we are no
longer in union with God. We tell God we are sorry and move on. In my column
last month, "Lent and the
Sacrament of Reconciliation," I spoke of the sacrament of
reconciliation and the benefits of making a confession around Christmas and
Easter and at key times of our lives, such as a wedding anniversary and our
birthday.
Do you know what this means? No matter who you are and what
your circumstances are, your road to holiness can be termed simply: "OK,
Lord, I want to do your will for me and, now that I think about it, I almost
always know what that is." And we do.
Granted,
on occasion, you have a choice to make and you need help. There are those you
can talk to for guidance. But here’s something to think about: Walking the most
ordinary or extraordinary journey is the way to holiness.
There
are places we pass in the mornings;
There
are people we see everyday.
And
while we may notice a bright splash of color,
Most
of them just fade away...
Each
day is a wonderful gift
With
sunshine or rain the wrapper—
The
clouds are the ribbons, the birds are the glitter,
Inside
finding both tears and laughter.
When
we open our eyes each dawn,
We
should make a deliberate choice—
To
be courteous and kind, always keeping in mind
That
God loves a cheerful voice.
There
are always those worse off than we—
With
hardships that none would believe;
And
our blessings are grand if we would but stand
And
look ‘round at the friends we can see.
While
life’s circumstances will change,
There is one gift certain from above—
While
all else may fail, this truth will prevail:
The one thing we can count on
is love.