God's Patience

   "Be patient with me and I will pay you back in full." Mt 18:26

God's patience is ours for the asking. Almost unbelievable to those of us with little patience, God is waiting for us to ask for help, and today's scripture is a powerful example of this. A debtor, and aren't we all debtors, asks his master to be patient with him. Moved with pity, perhaps because of his awareness that he too is a debtor, the master forgives his servant completely, asking for no payment whatsoever, but the servant does not understand the depth of his master's compassion. Rather than follow the example of his master, when the servant  who has been forgiven is asked to forgive another servant in debt to him, he refuses and puts him in prison. When the master of both servants hears of this he is outraged and punishes the unforgiving servant severely.

This is a hard saying, especially when we have been badly hurt by a friend, a parent, a spouse or a lover. To think that we must act towards those who hurt us like God acts towards us seems impossible, but it is clearly the message of Jesus.

Today, forgive someone even if they fail to ask forgiveness.

What holds you back from forgiving others?

Gathering in Christ

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Mt 18:20

There was a document that emerged from  the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in 1979. Entitled Environment and Art in Catholic Worship, and never formally approved by the entire assembly of bishops, it became enormously important for the principles it used to guide architects and liturgical theologians in redesigning Catholic churches after the Second Vatican Council.

Architects, it suggested, must never forget that when we gather for worship nothing is more important than the assembly of believers. Therefore, they should make sure there was a place, whenever possible, for people to gather in faith in preparation for the Eucharist.  This principle resulted in many churches in the United States having large vestibules, sometimes called narthexes or foyers, and served to remind us that when we come together in faith, bringing with us all that has happened to us personally and communally during the previous week, we proclaim that Christ is always among us, always empowering us. 

“For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them,” changes everything. God is with us, not only in the person of the priest, in the word and in the breaking of the bread, but when we gather in faith to celebrate Christ among us.

Take a moment today to thank God for the gift of soul friends who walk with you in faith.

How important is the assembly of believers to you when you gather for the Eucharist?

St Clare of Assisi

   “Gaze upon Christ, consider Christ, contemplate Christ, as you desire to imitate Christ.” St Clare

St Clare, who calls herself the little plant of St. Francis, often speaks of gazing upon God and Christ. It is a fascinating way of entering into contemplation. One does not have to understand as much as appreciate what one is gazing upon. Gazing is an act of the heart, not unlike what a parent does watching a child sleep. 

We must be quiet and rested in order to gaze freely and without unnecessary distractions. Gazing implies a kind of recollection, very much like what we might do late on a summer day as the sun sets. Appreciating the beauty without trying to control or stop it, we sit next to a river or in a park and enjoy the wonder of creation as another day ends. 

Contemplatives like St Clare work to quiet their spirits in order to appreciate all that God is and does. They do not cling to or try to possess God. Rather, they sit in God's presence and learn to walk through life at a pace that does no harm to any creature. Like St Francis among the animals, St Clare and her sisters celebrate the beauty of God in all that is, making it possible to see with the eyes of the heart and draw others to the beauty of God's love expressed through the gift of creation.

Today, breathe deeply and gaze upon whatever is in front of you.

What helps you to quiet your spirit and gaze delightedly upon God's creation?

St Lawrence, Deacon and Martyr

  "Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit." Jn 12:24

St Lawrence reputedly said while being grilled on an open fire as punishment for his failure to obey the the Roman Prefect : Turn me over. Like so many other stories, it misses the point.

St. Lawrence should be known for something very different. When the Roman Prefect demanded Lawrence bring him the treasures of the church, Lawrence went throughout the city and gathered all the poor and sick declaring: These are the riches of the church. The Roman Prefect, embarrassed and enraged, demanded that Lawrence be burned like an animal and Lawrence accepted his punishment for telling the truth. Indeed, the poor and sick are our greatest treasure.

We must all, like Lawrence, fall to the earth and die if we want to witness to the the gospel in an authentic way. Unless we have the faith and courage to let go of our narrow and limited world views, we cannot bear the fruit of God, the fruit that will last forever.

Today, ask not to be afraid of the daily dying demanded by the Gospel.

Who has died so that you might live?