Transformed by Love

 “Why are you troubled? And why do questions arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch me and see, because a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you can see I have.” Lk 24:38-39

Most of us are troubled by the unfamiliar, by what we don't recognize or understand. Sometimes it is something that can be easily corrected. We make a wrong turn, retrace our steps and find the road we intended to travel. But sometimes the new reality we are forced to accept demands a deeper change. Easter is like this.

While Easter signals a life we could only have imagined and promises us life forever with God, it also insists we make substantial changes in our life and lifestyle. If God is at the center of all that is and reminds us, like Jesus, not to be afraid, we must open our eyes to new possibilities.

Life is not about success, triumphs and wealth building in order to secure our future, but about deepening our relationship with God and one another as a sign of God's enduring love in Jesus. If success and wealth can help us do this, so much the better, but too often they cloud our judgment and blind us to the needs of others. Easter means living simply and using our blessings to provide a good life not only for our families, but for all who are hungry, homeless or in need in any way.

Today, be grateful for the day itself. Enjoy what is.

What are the biggest obstacles in your life to living the Gospel fully?

Seeking Others Gifts

  "They chose Stephen, a man filled with faith and the Holy Spirit, also Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas of Antioch, a convert to Judaism." Acts 6:5

Acts of Apostles tells us why the Apostles chose Stephen to help them in the mission of Jesus. Stephen was "filled with faith and the Holy Spirit," but it simply names the others. Why did the Apostles choose Philip, Prochorus, Nicamor, Timn, Parmenas and Nicholas? Why we have we been chosen as disciples?

Every person has gifts, many of which are hard to see and appreciate. When someone is a good listener, we appreciate their ability to sit quietly and pay attention to us without being distracted, but we can also be frustrated when they choose not to have an opinion about our concerns. Others have the ability to articulate matters carefully and succinctly, but can also make us wonder if life is as transparent and easy as their words seem to make it.

No doubt Philip, Prochorus, Nicamor, Timn, Parmenas and Nicholas had gifts that benefited the community, but we should not expect them or our friends to have answers to every problem. Rather, we pray to be grateful for the uniqueness of what each person brings to us, and seek to make our gifts available to others. Doing this regularly will us find and celebrate our vocation.

Today, pray to hear God's daily call to live the Gospel as a gift for others.

Have you discovered gifts in others that you never knew were there?

Gamaliel's Integrity

  "If this endeavor or this activity is of human origin, it will destroy itself. But if it comes from God, you will not be able to destroy them; you may even find yourselves fighting against God.” Acts 5: 38-39

Gamaliel, a Pharisee and a member of the Sanhedrin, warned his compatriots not to disparage the disciples of Jesus unless they were willing to risk their own commitment to the Torah. Gamaliel had a wisdom from which we could all profit. Like Jesus, he insisted that we know others by their fruits, not by their level of insight or the sophistication of their education.

The lesson continues, especially for those ministering in the developing world. Too often those of us from the so called developed world make impossible demands on people wanting to preach the gospel as ministers. Forcing folks from Senegal, for instance, to study western philosophy for two years before entering theological studies in preparation for priestly ordination, seems an exercise in overkill and might prevent future priests (to say nothing of lay ministers!) from studying the philosophies implicit in their own cultures.

Gamaliel and Jesus are clear. Judge people by the quality of their faith life. Do not risk laying heavy burdens upon them without doing a thing to help.

Today, listen to someone whose life you admire for its integrity.

What fruits of Gospel living most move you to transformation?

St Stanislaus

 "Blessed are they who follow the way of the Lord." Ps 119

Having the courage to speak out in the face of injustice is rare. To speak directly against a king or president seems inconceivable to most of us, but that is exactly what St. Stanislaus did at the beginning on the second millennium. Unable not to confront his king for egregious offenses against the poor and God, Stanislaus was martyred for demanding that the king repent and change his life.

Stanislaus is a good Easter saint. Challenged by the resurrection not to be afraid, to stand up, stand out and speak up, the apostles rose to the occasion and became a living Gospel. So did Stanislaus. Empowered by the word, and unafraid to speak with the authority of the Gospel, Stanislaus became the apostle of Poland, a figure revered as much by the Polish people as Thomas Becket is by the English.

Heroes can sometimes thrill us, but unless we are moved to change by their witness to the faith, their memories are a distraction to our own conversion. Stanislaus continues to be a mentor for the Polish people, not just because of his confrontation with his king, but because he acted, not to advance his own power but God's.

Today, live the Gospel simply and faithfully.

What keeps you from speaking out for the poor more consistently?

Closed Doors

 

"During the night, the angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, and led them out." Acts 5:19

Doors are very important symbols in the New Testament, especially locked doors. Jesus appears to his apostles after his resurrection even though they are hiding "behind closed doors," and the apostles are freed by an angel after they had been put in jail by the high priest. Clearly, locked doors mean nothing to the risen Lord, and they ought to remind us that nothing can keep God away from us for long.

All of us have areas of our inner life that we ignore, deny or hide, but none of these strategies help us know and serve God more deeply. Unless we learn to open our hearts to God and for some at least, to seek spiritual direction, we will find ourselves lost more often than not. Trying to keep God at a distance might work for a while, but a spiritual director can help us recognize and attend to those areas of our life that embarrass or shame us, and even more important, a good spiritual director can help us take the risk to enter more deeply into the mystery of God's presence within and among us.

Today, let God do what God wants to do with your life.

What doors are you most likely to close to God and others?

Praying for Unity in the Church

 "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common." Acts 4:32

The ideal suggested in today's reading from Acts stretches our imagination. To be of one heart and one mind is almost impossible for most of us, even in small matters. That the early Christian community was expecting Jesus to return to take them to the place he had prepared for them was surely an incentive to live simply and to work for unity in their mission, but the passage still challenges us.

In many ways, being of one mind is not even a Christian value. Because the Catholic church so values culture and cultural difference, we expect and celebrate the way people from around the world express and articulate our faith. This is not to say that we differ substantially about our most basic values, but cultures that are communal will naturally emphasize family and community more easily and deeply than cultures like the United States that so values individuality.

Being of one heart, however, is something we must strive for every day, especially across cultures. To be one in heart means we recognize that the love of God unites us in Jesus and calls us to listen together to the voice of the Holy Spirit in order to proclaim God's undivided love for all people.

Today, ask God to free you from any unhealed disunity in your family or parish.

What helps you to be one in heart with other believers?

The Annunciation of the Lord

  "Hail, full of grace. The Lord is with you." Lk 1:28

The annunciation has been painted and sculpted almost as often as the Pieta and with good reason. The annunciation thrills us. Mary's shyness, questions and reluctance to welcome the angel help us believe in her and in ourselves, especially when we are anxious, fearful and resistive.

Andrea Del Sarto (1526) paints Gabriel as a pleading angel, not someone especially sure of his role, but determined to complete his mission, and one wonders if the artist was aware of the reformation exploding in Germany. Mary looks almost offended, and anxious. What might the angel be asking, and what might our role be?

Today, say yes with Mary to anything God asks. Don't ask questions.

What has been the most difficult request God has made of you?