Ministry

Homily for the 5th Sunday of Lent
(Reading I – Jeremiah 31:31-34, Reading II – Hebrews 5:7-9,
Gospel – John 12:20-33)
Posted 30 March 2009

Today we find ourselves deep in the season of Lent. I realize that many of you have given up a favorite food or activity as a Lenten sacrifice, or perhaps you’ve added special observances, such as the Stations of the Cross. And you feel that you are truly in the spirit of preparation. Regardless of what you’ve done or haven’t done, today is an excellent time to pause for a moment and ask yourself this question, “Why have I made this extra effort, and how is my spiritual health as I approach Holy Week and the joyous Easter season?”

Before you answer that question, let me place it into an ordinary context. Yesterday in the warmth of the 60 degree spring sun I was slowly laying up a new concrete wall on a 20′ section of our greenhouse. If I were a mason, I’d starve! But you know, I felt great working on that wall. Fit and healthy. For quite a few years now I’ve been taking my good health for granted… however, at the urging of my wife, I’m nearing the end of a two-month round of doctors visits, blood tests, teeth and eye exams… well, the whole 9 yards! And I like what I’m hearing from my doctors: low blood sugar, normal PSA, great blood pressure—you get the picture.

Now some of this is my life style—I try to eat well and exercise. But I’m also blessed with some genes that factor in too – quite an important aspect of our health. In a way, I’ve been “coasting”… not really keeping track of my health, but instead reacting to issues as they arise. Now though, instead of taking my health for granted, I’m being proactive asking myself, “What can I do to be as healthy as possible as I approach my 60’s?”

A few minutes ago I asked, “Why have you made the extra effort to observe Lent, and how is your spiritual health.” It’s pretty easy to see the parallel between that question and the one about my physical health. If your Lenten observances have been a bit like relying on a good genetic mix that you were born with, aren’t you really just taking your spiritual health for granted?

“I will place my law within them and write it upon their hearts; I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [..] All, from least to greatest, shall know me, says the Lord, for I will forgive their evildoing and remember their sin no more.”

So writes the prophet Jeremiah in today’s moving first reading. His words were for the Israelites, a people who had suffered, been driven into exile… seemingly without hope. The great Hebrew prophets, like Ezekiel echo this theme of struggle, despair and ultimately God’s love for his people:

“I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit with you, taking from your bodies your stony hearts and giving you natural hearts.”

Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s words transcend just their Hebrew audience… speaking directly to us, who often despair, struggle with life’s challenges and harden our hearts against God’s love. How can we truly be ready for the Lord’s forgiveness?

That’s where our spiritual health enters the picture. It enables us to face life’s challenges prepared and proactive. Let’s face it, we don’t seek out life’s tribulations… they have no problem at all in finding us! Good spiritual health that is based upon prayer, praise and thanksgiving can enable us to accept the difficult times… the suffering. By not taking our spiritual health for granted, we keep our hearts open to God’s love.

During this time of Lenten preparation, we must look to the example that Jesus gave us: he did not seek out suffering… instead he accepted it obediently. Jesus was prepared: he prayed, fasted and praised God in the desert. “he offered prayers and supplications with loud cries and tears to the one who was able to save him from death… and he was heard because of his reverence.” as we heard in the Letter to the Hebrews. Despite the despair he would feel in the garden at Gesthemene the night before he was crucified, he never turned away from his God… OUR GOD!

We can’t afford to coast in life: to take our physical OR spiritual health for granted. If we do, we move through this life alone, unprotected… constantly struggling with the challenges we encounter.

“Why have we made this extra effort to prepare this Lent?’ We know the answer! To be as spiritually fit as possible for the rigors of life and to celebrate the new life offered to us through Christ’s passion, death and resurrection. We can’t afford to be repeating the same old Lenten rituals without a heart-felt purpose. Coasting on our “spiritual genes” won’t sustain us. We need to stretch ourselves spiritually: to read a few verses of scripture each day from The Bible and pray on what we’ve read… or recite the Rosary often and with a true spirit of reflection on the sorrowful, joyful, glorious or luminous mysteries. In other words, spend some time with God—our Creator and Redeemer.

We can do it… and enjoy the most fruitful Lenten observance ever… open to God as Jesus was: obedient and accepting. And on Easter Sunday, when HE is lifted up from the earth, we, too will be drawn up to HIM!

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Guidelines for Living
A Homily on the 15th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Posted 22 July 2008

The Parable of the Sower is truly the filet mignon of the Gospel message—the short version is perfect; all the fat and bone has been trimmed off, leaving us with the “finest cut” the Good Book has to offer.  Its basic meaning is understood easily.

I’d venture to say that nearly everyone here today either knows a gardener or is a gardener. Whether you grow a garden or just know a person who does, you can be sure of one thing: that garden is no accident! A bountiful garden filled with an assortment of vegetables represents hours of work to bring the food to the table from a small packet of seeds or a tiny plant transplanted into the garden. Even though many of us have become quite removed from the garden—let’s face it, the frozen food aisle in the grocery store isn’t very close to nature—even though most of us aren’t working in the soil, we understand that someone cares deeply about the care and feeding of those plants to bring the peas, lettuce, tomatoes… whatever is being grown… to bring them to a meal.

When we hear today’s parable, we know that it’s about far more than just some seeds scattered and how they grow. The parable is about THE SEED—GOD’S WORD, and the soil—the environment in which God’s Word will flourish. And that environment is our hearts and the lives that we lead. You probably have some good ideas of your own about why things don’t grow the way they should. Let’s face it, we may not think of ourselves as gardeners, but each of us has a bit of the gardener in us.

The clear theme of creation, fertility, growth and fruitfulness running through all of our scriptures today illustrates the wisdom of the church: on a single day, right in the midst of our growing season we are supposed to hear this message. The prophet Isaiah pointed us in the right direction in just two verses:

“Thus says the LORD:
Just as from the heavens
the rain and snow come down
and do not return there
till they have watered the earth,
making it fertile and fruitful,
giving seed to the one who sows
and bread to the one who eats,
so shall my word be
that goes forth from my mouth;
my word shall not return to me void,
but shall do my will,
achieving the end for which I sent it.”

What Isaiah proclaims, on behalf of God, is clear enough: God does not send the rain and snow without a reason… nor does He send His Holy Word without expecting results. Our God and Creator is the ULTIMATE gardener! He is just as focused on a positive result as my gardener wife is when she brings home a bushel of beans from her garden and says, “OK Tim, if we are going to eat these green beans, you can help me snap them!”

This isn’t just a conversation about seeds… or gardening. This a how-to on achieving results in our lives by being involved and intentional about what we do. And being involved means understanding what God asks of us and taking to heart that we are all gardeners of something: perhaps we are gardeners of ideas… or growers of people… or farmers of commerce. Each in his or her own way is involved tending to the soil of life and enriching it with the Word that God has given to us. Would a gardener leave the ground full of rocks, untilled and unfertilized, then turn his back on withering plants during a dry season? Or, would he do everything in his means to prepare the soil and bring water to the plants?

You already know the answer. Just a few minutes ago you responded 5 times to the instructive verses from Psalm 65 in our Responsorial Psalm. You said: “The seed that falls on good ground will yield a fruitful harvest.” The seed, the Word of God, this Holy Scripture… these guidelines for living. When they fall on the good ground we are “gardening”, the soil of lives cleared of obstructions, then we can be receptive to the word of God. As Jesus explains to his disciples, “Some persons hear the word without understanding its deeper meaning; some receive it, but fall away when tribulation comes; some hear it, but worldly anxiety and greed choke off the life it gives; and some hear the word, understand it, and bear an extraordinary amount of fruit.”

We know instinctively that there is no “instant produce”. We understand that God, through His Holy Word is helping us to understand that life is a time of patient planting, slow germination, and of cultivating and fertilizing the word of the kingdom in our daily lives… in other words, persevering in faithful hope.

This is a parable about taking a close look at the soil of our gardens… the lives we are living… and changing if we need to. This is the right time to open our hearts to the message of God’s love, and his call to be the best possible gardener.

You can be sure of one thing: a good garden is no accident! Let us go, work in our “gardens”, and enjoy the bounty of God’s love in our lives!

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Divine Mercy, Human Faith
A Reflection on Divine Mercy Sunday
Posted 28 March 2008

“Doubting Thomas”! Expressions from the Bible work their way into everyday use—often in very powerful ways, because they point to basic human truths. How often have we encountered someone so stubborn, so hardheaded that he wouldn’t believe unless he could see it with his own eyes? Perhaps YOU have been like that. I know that I have! But what does it really mean to be a doubting Thomas? On this 2nd Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, our Gospel message helps us to understand what we miss when we do not TRUST IN GOD.

“Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands”, Thomas demands, “and put my finger into the nail marks.. AND put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” I will not believe. This is so familiar, so human. And that’s why we identify with Thomas’ demand when we hear it: we know what it is to doubt; we know how difficult it is to believe AND to trust!

In 2000 our Holy Father, Pope John Paul II, proclaimed to the world, that “from now on throughout the Church this Sunday will be called Divine Mercy Sunday”. The occasion was the Mass for the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska, known as the “Apostle of Divine Mercy”. Her deep interior faith revealed to her and ultimately the world, the limitless mercy of Jesus. Why is that so important to us?

Well, some of you already know Faustina’s Chaplet of Divine Mercy that is prayed using traditional rosary beads. Likewise, many of you have seen the painting of Jesus wearing a white robe and raising his right hand in blessing. His left hand rests on his heart: two rays of light beam out from it. The image is simply captioned: Jesus, I trust in you. This painting is based upon Faustina’s visions of Jesus and it conveys a clear message: Jesus offers all of us his Divine Mercy, shed as blood and water on the Cross, for the forgiveness of our sins.

Through Sr. Faustina’s deep faith we are urged to realize that when we focus on Thomas’ doubt we miss the incredible gift of mercy that Jesus brought to his disciples in the upper room. How many of us would have been just like Thomas, missing Jesus’ gift of grace and abundant mercy? Would we have been consumed by doubt or instead filled with faith like the disciples that Saint Peter describes in our second reading, “Although you have not seen him you love him!” If you have not seen, but believe, then you can only see in a very special way… and that way is with the eyes of FAITH!

So what is faith? Is it something that we earn? Is it something that we learn how to use? NO… Faith is a GIFT… given to us freely through the grace of God. Faith enables us:

• to see with our heart, not our eyes

• to know… with our soul, not with our mind.

Faith makes God present to us with a trust that Thomas could not demonstrate. Faith is truly being able to say, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

And yet we all encounter difficult times in our lives… times when trusting is far more difficult than doubting—because doubting is so much easier. A few examples might bring this to life. Those who know me also know that I really try to please others. When I’m asked it do something, I try to follow through. But occasionally I don’t–I fail to take the importance of their request to heart–and then? I have to tell them I’ve forgotten… instead of trust in my word, I’ve created doubt, because they can no longer be assured that I’ll follow through. DOUBT… and TRUST:  polar opposites and certainly a central part of our human condition.

I recall a story that I read recently about a minister who was dealing with a dark period in his life. Out for a drive one day near his home, he pulled over to mull his options. His difficulties seemed to consume him and he wondered how he would ever deal with them all. Just then a car drove past him, slowly enough for him to read the car’s license plate—a vanity plate with a message. The letters spelled out T-R-U-S-T, trust. The word had a profound impact upon him as he realized that he had forgotten to trust; divine providence would see him through. And so he drove off, confident that if put his trust in the Lord, where it belonged, that God’s mercy would be there for him.

Too often doubt and despair are the normal reactions to difficulties… trusting in the mercy of our God is truly the response of the faith-filled person—even if we need a sign like the minister received.
Today is our opportunity, our challenge… our call… to see that sign and renew our faith. During this Easter season, let us not be like Thomas, but instead be a person of faith:  a person who trusts and also knows their God!

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Possibilities…
A Reflection on the Feast of Mary, the Mother of God
Posted on 8 January 2008

Since the homely stable setting in Bethlehem was first contemplated by lowly shepherds, worldly kings and heavenly hosts centuries ago, that scene and the events that surround it have inspired men and women to capture the meaning of it all—expressing their creative thoughts and feelings in painting, sculpture, poetry, dance and music. Our hearts and minds are moved by the possibilities of “God with us”, Emmanuel, and seek a way to share our feelings with others.

This Christmas season has certainly been no different. On January 1st, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, I was moved to consider this Christmas season and all of the “possibilities” that it embraces. So often I turn to song as well as scripture to provide a fresh perspective. It’s then that I appreciate the genius of an artist who can break open the meaning of the words of sacred scripture and the events that inspired them. A contemporary work that accomplishes just that–a song both deceptively simple. .. and yet creatively rich… in its ability to help us consider Mary’s perspective on the birth of Jesus, is “Mary Did You Know?”

Mary did you know that your baby boy would some day walk on water?
Mary did you know that your baby boy would save our sons and daughters?
Did you know that your baby boy has come to make you new?
This child that you’ve delivered will soon deliver you.

Mary did you know that your baby boy will give sight to a blind man?
Mary did you know that your baby boy will calm the storm with his hand?
Did you know that your baby boy has walked where angels trod?
When you’ve kissed your little baby then you’ve kissed the face of God.

“When you’ve kissed your little baby then you’ve kissed the face of God.” Perhaps these words, so beautifully sung by Kathy Mattea, paint a picture that you’ve never before considered. This young mother, this incredibly special infant… and a universe of possibilities captured in the tender kiss of a mother.

The birth of our Lord and Savior is an event like no other. And yet, many of us know it as people who have personally witnessed the birth of a child—our very own universe of possibilities is the single most creative moment of humankind—a juncture of heaven and earth as a child is conceived and then enters the world. Even our most familiar carols and the sacred scriptures themselves embrace a freshness of meaning when we place the Holy Family in the human context it so deserves!

“What child is this, who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?”

Our Church expresses the wealth of traditions in its celebrations: its feasts, solemnities and commemorations. Each one is an anchor, a placeholder for us on our spiritual journeys. Likewise each celebration embodies the same qualities that make our birthdays, anniversaries, family gatherings and so many other activities of remembrance pillars of support on our life journeys.

“Mary, did you know?” What a question to ponder!

A question with so many answers, so many possibilities…

Answers that only a mother could ever really know.

A Note on the Post – This post is an adaptation of a reflection that I was moved to write as I prayed the Liturgy of the Hours on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. It incorporates a contemporary song as a vehicle for prompting interaction in a small worship service setting. As I wrote it, I pictured a small group gathered for worship (Marian Devotional or Communion Service) that would be followed by informal sharing and open discussion on the Marian theme. The first two verses of the song, “Mary Did You Know?” would be available to all in attendance as the service begins.
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Postscript – I have not included a link to Kathy Mattea’s Grammy-winning album, Good News (1993, Mercury). However, a google of “mary did you know mattea” will yield some decent quality clips of the song, which is available for purchase at all of the usual on-line sources.

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Remnants
A Reflection on Ezra 9:5-9 and Luke 9:1-6
Posted on 11 November 2007

Occasionally a single word will just “pop out” of a scripture passage. When that happens, it’s as if a pinpoint ray of light is focused clearly on the word… with it’s beam gradually widened until the Word of God is illuminated in a way that we might never have seen. The clarity that can be given to the reader is a welcome gift of understanding.

A single word in Chapter 9 from the prophet Ezra provided that gift of clarity; the word, remnant, is one that we often encounter, but today it holds a new meaning. Let me explain. Ezra writes, “But now, suddenly, the Lord our God by his favor has left us a remnant and granted us a refuge in his holy place; this is how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery.” [Ezra 9:5 – 9] God, by his favor, has left us a remnant… a remnant. Ezra’s anguish is so evident as he acknowledges the sins of his people and the trials that have fallen upon them because of their sinfulness. And yet, some people remain despite these trials–a remnant. That single word speaks volumes!

If you’ve passed by a carpet or flooring store, you may have seen a sign in the store window: “Remnant Sale”. For most of us a remnant probably describes a piece of carpet or flooring left-over from a larger piece. Remnants have a value–they can be used and shouldn’t just discarded. At home, my wife is a talented seamstress. Only the smallest scraps of cloth are thrown away. The remnants from each sewing project are carefully folded and stored–ready for a future use.

And so it was with Ezra and the tribes of Israel. A remnant, not to be discarded by God, but rather that portion left to continue–to build forward into the future. Is the point here that in all remnants there is some good? Perhaps.

When we contrast this with the Gospel from Luke, we find Jesus giving the twelve Apostles their “marching orders”: “Take nothing for the journey: neither staff, nor haversack, nor bread, nor money; and let none of you take a spare tunic. Whatever house you enter, stay there; and when you leave, let it be from there.” [Luke 9:1 - 6] I think that in Jesus’ commands to the Twelve we see an interesting development: first, Jesus himself is building upon a remnant–the twelve men who believe his message of good news and are willing to spread that news. This is a clear link to Ezra’s prophetic voice. God will build upon what scraps he has, even if they are a motley band of fishermen, a tax collector and the like! Just as anyone of you might walk through the door of the flooring store and see potential in a remnant of carpet, Jesus acknowledges the possibilities in these men, creatively molding a new ministry for a changing world.

And yet, Jesus is extending Ezra’s prophetic voice in a new way: these Twelve should carry no remnants with them! No leftovers from the past, not even a spare tunic. This is the other side of the coin, isn’t it? On the one hand, Jesus must use the remnants of the Israelites to create his ministry team. At the same time, he is keenly aware that if they carry the past with them, they will never succeed.

This is a new creation–a creation not to be burdened with the remnants of each Apostle’s past. He is asking each of them to begin anew–fresh for the journey: “Take nothing for the journey…”! Ask yourself, have you ever approached life’s events like this?

Perhaps not every remnant is as valued as others. Think of those scraps that we hang on to–feeling that they are remnants that we will use someday. But if we are truly honest with ourselves, aren’t these just bits of waste that we should dispose of? Perhaps they are anxieties that burdened our hearts, or resentments that embitter us. We certainly all cling to ways of being that are little more than scraps of behaviors that we don’t really need!

Jesus is challenging us, as his new disciples, to recognize these and to leave them behind. Instead, we wake each morning with a fresh opportunity to mold that remnant of goodness, that “divine spark” within each of us. Like Ezra, we must recognize how God has graced us, and give thanks for, “how our God has cheered our eyes and given us a little respite in our slavery.” A respite from that slavery to scraps of anxieties, resentments and unnecessary behaviors that we cling to.

Today is our day to share the Good News that our God loves us deeply, fully. He wants to help us to blossom into the fullness of his creation. Now is our time of building up what God has given to us.
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Geography Lessons
Reflection on the 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Ex 32:7-11,13-14; 1Tm 1:12-17; Lk 15:1-32

I would like to take you on a journey with me today. Consider it a sort of biblical “Mapquest”. Today we’ve been given scripture readings that transport us through a very special geography: the landscape of our God. By paying close attention to the changes in our surroundings as we travel, we have another doorway to understand God in a more complete way.

Let’s begin right where our first reading from the Book of Exodus placed us―in the desert with the very unhappy Hebrew people. These are the same people whom Moses lead out of Egypt, pursued by the Pharaoh’s army through the Red Sea and into the desert. But Moses isn’t with them now. He has been gone for many days on Mt. Sinai, where God is creating the 10 Commandments.

The geography here is rocky and hot. The people feel stranded and they’ve turned to Aaron for leadership―convincing him to construct a golden calf to worship. And as God sees it, they have become DEPRAVED, turned away from him―in God’s eyes they are a “stiff-necked people”. He is ready to unleash his wrath on them in his anger. This is the fearsome God of the Hebrews! They need an intercessor! Moses is that person, “imploring the Lord, his God”.

The geography is stark, full of sharp contrasts, just like the unyielding sun in the desert. The first signpost is obvious: sin and divine retribution. There seems to be no forgiveness here! We are journeying with the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. A God to be feared… a God deserving of all praise and glory.

Let’s move on to a much different place, where St. Paul in our second reading from his first Letter to Timothy presents a new geography to consider. In the letter Paul admits, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and arrogant…” Of course, he is speaking about his zealous persecution of the early Christians. The biblical commentators point out that his admission of arrogance is poorly translated from the Greek. The word Paul uses is best translated as “thug”; that’s right, Paul, then called Saul was so determined to persecute the Christians that he stopped at nothing to accomplish his mission.

And yet, he continues, “but I have been mercifully treated because I acted out of ignorance and unbelief.” Along our journey, this is great change in the landscape of our God. This geography has been softened by something the Hebrews in the desert never saw: Jesus Christ. For Paul, the love of Jesus Christ and his role as intercessor provides us with a new view as we meet a God who is personal, merciful and acting with abundant grace. The signpost here: sin and redemption.

Biblical scholars help us to understand this part of our journey by pointing out that in Paul’s writings we move beyond the incomplete knowledge of God that was held by the Hebrews, to a knowledge of brought to completion in Jesus.

But this is just a rest stop along the way. Let’s finish the journey to our final destination. It’s a place that we can understand, because it tells a story that we can identify with. Luke’s Gospel tells the parable of the Prodigal Son. What does prodigal mean? The word comes from the Latin prodigus to squander. It’s most common meaning refers to lavish or reckless spending. And that’s just what the younger son in today’s Gospel did. After taking his share of the inheritance he, “squandered his inheritance on a life of dissipation.” Put simply, he just spent everything to have a good time, with no thought to the consequences. This is a person who is hard to like!

And yet, don’t we know those who have done as much or even worse? Isn’t this such a human response to the lure of wealth, of material pleasures? Our biblical mapquest could be taking us through all of those things that lure us away from our God. The list is much too long…

But back to our young man, as he sinks into the depths of depravity, longing to eat even the slop given to the pigs, he comes to his senses. “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.” he says. This repentant sinner returns to his father’s house to surprising reception. His father, seeing him far off across the field, “was filled with compassion.” Just as Paul, sinner and persecutor of Christians received the compassion of Jesus, here, we have journeyed into a new landscape with the young man: a landscaped empowered by the Holy Spirit, filled with God’s grace, compassion and forgiveness. Our final signpost: repentance and forgiveness.

As we recap our journey, our “biblical mapquest”, we find that we are no longer in the desert where that first landscape revealed to us first a God of great power―a God to be held in awe and to be feared, just as the Hebrews did who turned away from Him. We left the blistering heat of the desert, and refreshed in the shade of the mercy and abundant grace given to St. Paul through the Great Intercessor, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Finally, we traveled to a time not so different than ours where the troubles within a family threatened its integrity. And in this new landscape we discovered a God with forgiveness towards the repentant sinner and filled with joy at the return of a soul once lost to him. Perhaps for a moment we were able to step into the role of the younger, repentant son, the loving and forgiving father, or the steadfast older son, angered by his father’s forgiveness and lavish welcome to his “lost” son.

It was here, in this place, that we found a new understanding of our God: a God of compassion, who brought to completion the love of his people through the redeeming grace of His Son, Jesus, and the strength to forgive in the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Yes, we have left the desert behind and now we are home at last. Secure in the knowledge that through the Holy Trinity, God is with us.

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Living Water… a Lenten reflection

(3rd Sunday of Lent, Year A: Exodus 17:3-7; Romans 5:1-2,5-8; John 4:5-42)

God told Moses, “I will be standing there in front of you on the rock in Horeb. Strike the rock, and the water will flow from it for the people to drink.” Moses had a big problem, but God was there for him. His people needed water, and God provided for them.

This episode from Exodus calls to mind a very hot summer experience. I was an adult leader on a 200-mile Youth Bike Tour. On a blistering August afternoon with temperatures in the 90′s, my group, the “Speedsters”, had outrun our support driver, who carried the big water jugs… and the cyclists in our group were hot, tired and VERY thirsty! At the top of a steep hill, we pulled off the road and parked our bikes under the shady maples of a farmhouse. The cool lawn in the shade was a welcome respite from the scorching mid-day sun, but we were so thirsty! And then, a minor miracle occurred: a woman stepped out on the porch from the front door of the farmhouse, welcomed us and said, “You boys looked really hot. Can I bring you some of ice cold water from our well?” In just a few minutes she returned with two large containers filled with clear, cold water. Amid a flurry of water bottles being filled, you could hear the “Ah, that’s so good!” and “Thanks!” ripple through the group. Our anonymous hostess had become a lifesaver. A more grateful pack of riders would have been hard to find.

That was quite an experience for us and it points right to the urgency of the human condition so clearly expressed in our scriptures at this mid-point of the Lenten season. For Moses, the human need of the Israelites grumbling in the desert could hardly be ignored. Moses had to confront the hardness of his tribe who were weary, hungry and thirsty after their exodus from Egypt. Moses couldn’t ignore the very real need for water any more than our cyclists could. Human nature being what it is, we are going to complain, forget what we have, and instead, focus on what we need—right now!

God was there for the Israelites in a very real and tangible way. When Moses struck the rock, he tapped the power of God’s overwhelming love and mercy for his people. The flowing water was both real and symbolic: true water to quench the thirst of the people and a powerful symbol of God’s love, “poured out into our hearts.” as St. Paul writes in the Letter to the Romans.

When we consider God’s love, “poured out into our hearts”, we’re given a powerful insight into the encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. Jesus uses the encounter to go far beyond basic human physical need to the thirst for spiritual fulfillment. Here is a woman keenly aware of her ancestry and place in society who nonetheless is open to the words of Jesus.
John’s Gospel provides us with a glimpse of Jesus as the living Messiah: “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again; but whoever drinks the water I shall give, will never thirst; the water I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” And while the woman does not really understand his message, she hungers to know more. Jesus the rabbi… the teacher… the Messiah… this is the Jesus she ultimately comes to believe.

And now, in the desert of our Lenten sacrifice, is it our turn? Are we like those young cyclists hot and thirsty from pedaling who need a total stranger to refresh them? Are we like the wandering tribe in the desert that Moses must encourage to keep on going? Yes, we are!

We are midway through our Lenten journey, and although we are committed to the sacrifice and renewal of the season, we are thirsty now. Our human nature is getting the best of us. We need encouragement… we need support… we need confirmation that we can see it to the finish.

That’s why today’s message that God is here for us is right on target. Instead of grumbling; instead of backsliding on the promises we made to make this a meaningful Lenten season, it’s our turn to listen to God speaking. We can also be like the Samaritan woman at the well. We can be fulfilled spiritually and share that satisfaction with others.

Today, let each of us take hold of that ice cold glass of water: that promise of new life in Jesus Christ! It’s just as tangible as the water from the rock at Horeb, or the water on that farmhouse lawn or the Living Water at the well of the Samaritan woman. Today, as we journey through the hardest, driest season of the year, let us be refreshed in God’s Word and Promise!

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Unceasing ripple of prayer… The Liturgy of the Hours

The Liturgy of the Hours is “The hymn of praise that is sung through all the ages in the heavenly places and was brought by the high priest, Christ Jesus, into this land of exile [..] The Liturgy of the Hours gradually developed into the prayer of the local church, a prayer offered at regular intervals [..] by means of which that worship might overflow to reach all the hours of daily life.” (Author’s emphasis) [from the Apostolic Constitution, Promulgation, The Divine Office, 2nd Vatican Council]

In the Roman Catholic Church, ordained ministers (bishops, priests and deacons) are required to pray the Hours, also known as the Divine Office. In addition, most consecrated religious orders pray the Hours as well. Since the revision to the Liturgy of the Hours after the Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960′s, many, many lay members of the church have adopted the practice of praying some or all of the Liturgy of the Hours.

For me, the grounding of the Morning, Daytime, Evening and Night prayers in the Hebrew Scriptures, particularly the Psalms, provide an incredibly rich context for prayer. And just considering that when I am praying Morning Prayer that hundreds, thousands more are also praying the same prayer brings great comfort and reassurance as we all praise God and his marvelous creation.

The World Wide Web is bursing with information on the Liturgy of the Hours. A good starting point might be this link to EWTN’s overview on the history of the Hours at: http://www.ewtn.com/expert/answers/breviary.htm

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Slowing Down… and Seeing.

Over the past five years, my weekly schedule has included a 7:00AM Communion Service at St. Bartholomew the Apostle Church. As the lay presider, I have always offered a short reflection on the day’s scripture readings. Looking back over the years, I see that this commitment has yielded an unexpected gift. In a way, over time, I became a modern day Gulliver, whose watch had been carted away–at least for a few hours each Wednesday.

I learned to cherish the time spent in preparation, prayer and peaceful community with others. However, the gift of time spent slowly and prayerfully didn’t end after Communion Service! The benefit gradually migrated into a relaxed breakfast at Garf’s Deli, a local eatery.

What began as a welcomed commitment to my lay ministry evolved over time into several hours each Wednesday of slowing down… and seeing the world around me. With God’s grace–through prayer and Eucharist each Wednesday–my heart was opened to His creation. The center of my world shifted for a few hours each Wednesday morning and I began to see in anew.

One morning at the deli, while I was enjoying my bagel and coffee, I gazed out of the window to receive yet another gift: seeing an act of simple kindness. Today’s post concludes with this poem, prompted by what I observed and also a human act that touched me in a most heartfelt manner.

A Kindness…

He glided across the intersection on the
mobility cart. A slightly built man, with two
crutches wedged under his arm.

Docking at the corner trash bin by the park
he reached over the rim, disturbing the
cluttered waste of the town in search of
a deposit bottle or can.

Coming up empty handed, he easily swung
the electric cart around, pausing at the
park bench.

Sitting in the cocoon of the deli across the street,
I couldn’t hear the call to him. A young man
gestured, stepping from his van waving
an empty Mountain Dew bottle.

The one-legged man on the cart turned his
head, accepted the empty with a nod and
dropped it into the bag hanging from the seat.

With an easy step, the young man hopped into the
van as the cripple, a nickel richer, wheeled back
across the intersection.

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