"When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him." Mt 21 31-32
Today's scripture and feast is a difficult one for me. Perhaps like some of you, when I get involved in a heated argument, it often becomes more important for me to be right than in relationship. I have struggled with this my entire life and it is not difficult for me to see myself among the Pharisees trying to convince everyone, without regard for the truth or what is happening right in front of me, that Jesus is a charlatan. That thousands are listening to John the Baptist announce that he is not the Christ and convincing even prostitutes and tax collectors that his message is from God, the Pharisees suggest that prostitutes and tax collectors are poor witnesses and will do anything to feather their own nests. Failing to even consider the humility and honesty of John, especially when he points to Christ as "the one who is to come," (Lk 7:18-19) they risk their salvation for the sake of their fragile power within the Jewish community of Jesus' day.
The feast of St. Lucy only increases my discomfort. After she rejects a proposal of marriage, the fellow she spurns "accuses" her of believing in the Christ, and even though she realizes the danger, Lucy acknowledges that indeed she is a Christian. When she refuses to recant her belief, she is martyred. We know little else about her life, but the early church held her up, even including her name in the first Eucharistic prayer, because of her simple, direct an unwavering faith. What a challenge she is to us. Lucy knows who she is, will not equivocate about her faith and suffers death as a result. Faith, Lucy's witness reminds us, is simple. God gifts us with belief and the treasure is so real and so powerful that it is strong enough to sustain us in the face of death. Simplicity, honesty and integrity are the fruits of a faith deeply valued and lived. It is only when we complicate faith unnecessarily for the sake of our own comfort that we risking losing the most precious gift we will ever receive.
Today, pray to join St. John the Evangelist when he reminds us: "He must increase; I must decrease." Jn 3:30
Showing posts with label humility. Show all posts
Showing posts with label humility. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
Monday, December 12, 2011
Our Lady of Guadalupe
"A great sign appeared in the sky, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars." Rev 19a
One of the great lessons of Advent and in the lives of the saints is that God comes to the humble. St. Juan Diego, who has his own feast now after being canonized by Bl John Paul II, described himself to Our Lady of Guadalupe as, " a nobody, .. small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf." How he wondered would a bishop believe that Mary sent him to request that a church be built in her honor? After all, by his own account, he was a subsistence farmer and a nobody.
Hearing his anxiety and fear, Mary assured him that if he took the flowers she gave him which were growing on the top of hill in frozen soil, the bishop would listen to her through him. Indeed, when he brought the flowers to the bishop as proof of his own integrity and Mary's promise, the cloak with which he was carrying the flowers had an image of the woman who appeared to him. The bishop was startled, his skepticism melted away, and he ordered that a church be built in Mary's honor and gave Juan Diego permission to receive the Eucharist three times a week, a singular privilege at that time.
St Juan Diego's story always warms us in our fear and anxiety. So too does Juan Diego's reluctance to meet Mary a second time. Because the beautiful lady requested that he go to the bishop and ask that a church be built in her honor, Juan Diego was hesitant about returning to the hill where Mary appeared to him. Learning that his uncle had fallen sick would cause Juan Diego to take a different road the next day and miss his meeting with Mary. Mary, however, had other plans. "The Lady" met him on the road to his uncle's home and Juan Diego knew that he could not escape the task set out for him.
Two things help us in this story. While Juan Diego was given the privilege of more frequent reception of the Eucharist, he had to walk 15 miles to the nearest church. A faith filled life, though privileged, is never easy. We need to work at it, and even when we try to escape from God, God will find us wherever we are. God's love and confidence in us is always greater than our own.
Today, ask God for the faith to see yourself as God sees you.
One of the great lessons of Advent and in the lives of the saints is that God comes to the humble. St. Juan Diego, who has his own feast now after being canonized by Bl John Paul II, described himself to Our Lady of Guadalupe as, " a nobody, .. small rope, a tiny ladder, the tail end, a leaf." How he wondered would a bishop believe that Mary sent him to request that a church be built in her honor? After all, by his own account, he was a subsistence farmer and a nobody.
Hearing his anxiety and fear, Mary assured him that if he took the flowers she gave him which were growing on the top of hill in frozen soil, the bishop would listen to her through him. Indeed, when he brought the flowers to the bishop as proof of his own integrity and Mary's promise, the cloak with which he was carrying the flowers had an image of the woman who appeared to him. The bishop was startled, his skepticism melted away, and he ordered that a church be built in Mary's honor and gave Juan Diego permission to receive the Eucharist three times a week, a singular privilege at that time.
St Juan Diego's story always warms us in our fear and anxiety. So too does Juan Diego's reluctance to meet Mary a second time. Because the beautiful lady requested that he go to the bishop and ask that a church be built in her honor, Juan Diego was hesitant about returning to the hill where Mary appeared to him. Learning that his uncle had fallen sick would cause Juan Diego to take a different road the next day and miss his meeting with Mary. Mary, however, had other plans. "The Lady" met him on the road to his uncle's home and Juan Diego knew that he could not escape the task set out for him.
Two things help us in this story. While Juan Diego was given the privilege of more frequent reception of the Eucharist, he had to walk 15 miles to the nearest church. A faith filled life, though privileged, is never easy. We need to work at it, and even when we try to escape from God, God will find us wherever we are. God's love and confidence in us is always greater than our own.
Today, ask God for the faith to see yourself as God sees you.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
God: The foundation of all that is good
"You will not become wise in your own estimation." Rom 11:25
"The one who humbles himself will be exalted." Lk 14:11
Pride is a terrible burden that we all carry. Inane and foolish arguments often begin with pride and separate us from one another and from the body of Christ. Men seem more prone to these kinds of destructive arguments than women, but no matter who begins the debate, it is pride that does not let us stop. Winning at games, in business and politics, and in relationships has become so important in our society that we often find ourselves unable to remember the issue about which we argued, but we all know the tightness in our stomachs and the headaches we've endured either because we began something we could not stop or were the object of another’s cruelty.
St. Paul works very hard in today's selection from Roman's to remind us that Jesus was not in competition with the leaders of the Jewish community. Neither is he trying to supplant the Torah nor undermine the authority of the Pharisees. Rather, he acts in such a way that any reasonable witness will be drawn to a fuller investigation of his deeds and claims. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Jewish community see him as a rival rather than a reformer and prophet. Their pride makes it impossible for them to engage in an honest conversation with Jesus. He is threatening their tenuous political power, and he must be stopped.
Luke's gospel addresses this same issue. The Pharisees feel entitled to the seats and positions of importance in civil affairs and at weddings. They enter a banquet hall or a home and expect deference. More important, they regularly dismiss others who are merely servants and often don't view them as persons, but slaves who are the property of other important leaders. There was no arguing with them or their interpretations of the law without serious consequences. Their pride and fear made them blind to everyday people yearning for redemption.
The scriptures today present us with a clear choice. Remember who we are, acknowledge God's sovereignty and stop berating others, or be judged harshly by God for our arrogance and pride. In order to accept life as it is we need to pray for a humility that is not self demeaning, but praises God in all things, especially for the gifts God has given us for the good of all and the building of God's reign.
Today, ask for the gift of humility that celebrates the wonder of God's life in every person and all creation.
"The one who humbles himself will be exalted." Lk 14:11
Pride is a terrible burden that we all carry. Inane and foolish arguments often begin with pride and separate us from one another and from the body of Christ. Men seem more prone to these kinds of destructive arguments than women, but no matter who begins the debate, it is pride that does not let us stop. Winning at games, in business and politics, and in relationships has become so important in our society that we often find ourselves unable to remember the issue about which we argued, but we all know the tightness in our stomachs and the headaches we've endured either because we began something we could not stop or were the object of another’s cruelty.
St. Paul works very hard in today's selection from Roman's to remind us that Jesus was not in competition with the leaders of the Jewish community. Neither is he trying to supplant the Torah nor undermine the authority of the Pharisees. Rather, he acts in such a way that any reasonable witness will be drawn to a fuller investigation of his deeds and claims. Unfortunately, the leaders of the Jewish community see him as a rival rather than a reformer and prophet. Their pride makes it impossible for them to engage in an honest conversation with Jesus. He is threatening their tenuous political power, and he must be stopped.
Luke's gospel addresses this same issue. The Pharisees feel entitled to the seats and positions of importance in civil affairs and at weddings. They enter a banquet hall or a home and expect deference. More important, they regularly dismiss others who are merely servants and often don't view them as persons, but slaves who are the property of other important leaders. There was no arguing with them or their interpretations of the law without serious consequences. Their pride and fear made them blind to everyday people yearning for redemption.
The scriptures today present us with a clear choice. Remember who we are, acknowledge God's sovereignty and stop berating others, or be judged harshly by God for our arrogance and pride. In order to accept life as it is we need to pray for a humility that is not self demeaning, but praises God in all things, especially for the gifts God has given us for the good of all and the building of God's reign.
Today, ask for the gift of humility that celebrates the wonder of God's life in every person and all creation.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Asking for Help
“Ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Lk 11:9)
Being unafraid to ask others for help is an important lesson in humility, and a sure sign that we have not become so arrogant that we live as if we don’t need others. Nevertheless, it is difficult for most people in individualistic societies like the United States to ask for help, and those who do are often looked down upon. Homeless street people may be shown pity and helped, but they are seldom respected as human beings, and it is the rare person who engages them in conversation about their lives.
I am not naïve or idealistic about all of this. For many years, I worked with and came to love Boston’s street people who found their way to the Shattuck hospital. Some of them were so full of fear that they could not say a word to you in greeting. Others were unable to stop talking. Most of the time and with most of the residents at the Shattuck, I had a passing relationship. They came to expect me to lead them in worship on Sunday mornings and were happy to be a part of a praying community. After mass we would mingle for a while, exchange pleasantries and grow in trust. Eventually, some would gain enough confidence to ask for the sacrament of reconciliation, but they were the exception.
Nevertheless, all of them seemed to understand me and be grateful when I would insist that there were no prostitutes at the Shattuck. There were women and men who had prostituted themselves, but they were people with real identities and names. The same was true of those who were addicted to drugs and alcohol. They were not alcoholics and drug addicts. They were people with raging addictions. It was important for the patients at the Shattuck to hear this, more than once. Most of them had been through two or three recovery programs and were giving up on themselves. As soon as they began to think of themselves as drug addicts rather than persons, they were on their way back to the streets without hope and looking for a fix.
The same is true for all of us. Being needy is a not a fault or a sin. It is the human condition, and St Paul reminds us often to remember that we are the body of Christ. In Romans, 1 Corinthians, Colossians and Ephesians, he returns to the image of the body of Christ, and insists that a body is made up of many parts, all of which have dignity. Further, when a part of our body is under stress it is natural for the rest of the body to come to its aid. An injury or infection is not perceived by the body as sinful, but sick, and as Jesus reminds us, it is the sick that need a physician.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help today. Allowing someone else to help you may be the grace they need to free themselves from self absorption and sin.
Being unafraid to ask others for help is an important lesson in humility, and a sure sign that we have not become so arrogant that we live as if we don’t need others. Nevertheless, it is difficult for most people in individualistic societies like the United States to ask for help, and those who do are often looked down upon. Homeless street people may be shown pity and helped, but they are seldom respected as human beings, and it is the rare person who engages them in conversation about their lives.
I am not naïve or idealistic about all of this. For many years, I worked with and came to love Boston’s street people who found their way to the Shattuck hospital. Some of them were so full of fear that they could not say a word to you in greeting. Others were unable to stop talking. Most of the time and with most of the residents at the Shattuck, I had a passing relationship. They came to expect me to lead them in worship on Sunday mornings and were happy to be a part of a praying community. After mass we would mingle for a while, exchange pleasantries and grow in trust. Eventually, some would gain enough confidence to ask for the sacrament of reconciliation, but they were the exception.
Nevertheless, all of them seemed to understand me and be grateful when I would insist that there were no prostitutes at the Shattuck. There were women and men who had prostituted themselves, but they were people with real identities and names. The same was true of those who were addicted to drugs and alcohol. They were not alcoholics and drug addicts. They were people with raging addictions. It was important for the patients at the Shattuck to hear this, more than once. Most of them had been through two or three recovery programs and were giving up on themselves. As soon as they began to think of themselves as drug addicts rather than persons, they were on their way back to the streets without hope and looking for a fix.
The same is true for all of us. Being needy is a not a fault or a sin. It is the human condition, and St Paul reminds us often to remember that we are the body of Christ. In Romans, 1 Corinthians, Colossians and Ephesians, he returns to the image of the body of Christ, and insists that a body is made up of many parts, all of which have dignity. Further, when a part of our body is under stress it is natural for the rest of the body to come to its aid. An injury or infection is not perceived by the body as sinful, but sick, and as Jesus reminds us, it is the sick that need a physician.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help today. Allowing someone else to help you may be the grace they need to free themselves from self absorption and sin.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Changing our Minds for God's sake
When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him. (Mt 21:32)
Changing our minds is hard work, something that most of us do only reluctantly. Even when the truth stares us in the face, we resist. Perhaps we are afraid of losing something with which we are comfortable. Or we think that changing our minds might be interpreted as disloyalty to someone in power or a friend. Whatever the reason for our resistance, letting go and changing our minds in order to follow the Lord more closely and build his reign is a clear mandate in the gospel.
Today’s gospel portrays a community of Jewish leaders unwilling to change, even after seeing and experiencing the honesty and integrity of John the Baptist. When Jesus suggests that prostitutes and tax collectors are more willing to change than them, their resistance only deepens. To be compared to people at the bottom of the social ladder is an insult which they will not accept. Not only do they refuse to look at Jesus with open eyes and hearts, they begin to plot against him, not because of his ideas but because their power and standing in the community are threatened.
I must admit I have some sympathy for the chief priests and elders. After all, they had carved out a kind of treaty with the Romans that allowed them full access to the temple and the right to their own currency. Though conditions weren’t perfect, they could be much worse. But Jesus will hear of no excuses. While the resistance of the Jewish elders is understandable, it is unacceptable.
The same is true for us. All of us have reasons not to change. We have lived faithful catholic lives. We have followed the commandments and tried to live the beatitudes, but the Lord often demands more. Perhaps we have been hurt by a colleague, a friend, even a spouse and we refuse to believe that they can and have changed. We avoid them, speak dismissively of their good works or smirk at their efforts to change. The problem is ours, not theirs, especially if they have discovered a way to follow Christ which we are resisting, not because their ideas lack value, but because we do not trust them as persons.
The question all must ask is simple but difficult. What must we do to advance the message of salvation? How can we be instruments of peace so that others can discover the face of Christ? In today’s second reading Paul tells us how Jesus did this. “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;… he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Perhaps we could all do with a dose of humility and obedience, a willingness to change our minds for the sake of God’s reign.
Changing our minds is hard work, something that most of us do only reluctantly. Even when the truth stares us in the face, we resist. Perhaps we are afraid of losing something with which we are comfortable. Or we think that changing our minds might be interpreted as disloyalty to someone in power or a friend. Whatever the reason for our resistance, letting go and changing our minds in order to follow the Lord more closely and build his reign is a clear mandate in the gospel.
Today’s gospel portrays a community of Jewish leaders unwilling to change, even after seeing and experiencing the honesty and integrity of John the Baptist. When Jesus suggests that prostitutes and tax collectors are more willing to change than them, their resistance only deepens. To be compared to people at the bottom of the social ladder is an insult which they will not accept. Not only do they refuse to look at Jesus with open eyes and hearts, they begin to plot against him, not because of his ideas but because their power and standing in the community are threatened.
I must admit I have some sympathy for the chief priests and elders. After all, they had carved out a kind of treaty with the Romans that allowed them full access to the temple and the right to their own currency. Though conditions weren’t perfect, they could be much worse. But Jesus will hear of no excuses. While the resistance of the Jewish elders is understandable, it is unacceptable.
The same is true for us. All of us have reasons not to change. We have lived faithful catholic lives. We have followed the commandments and tried to live the beatitudes, but the Lord often demands more. Perhaps we have been hurt by a colleague, a friend, even a spouse and we refuse to believe that they can and have changed. We avoid them, speak dismissively of their good works or smirk at their efforts to change. The problem is ours, not theirs, especially if they have discovered a way to follow Christ which we are resisting, not because their ideas lack value, but because we do not trust them as persons.
The question all must ask is simple but difficult. What must we do to advance the message of salvation? How can we be instruments of peace so that others can discover the face of Christ? In today’s second reading Paul tells us how Jesus did this. “He emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness;… he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Perhaps we could all do with a dose of humility and obedience, a willingness to change our minds for the sake of God’s reign.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Do not pray to be successful, pray to be faithful
“But as we were judged worthy by God to be entrusted with the Gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please men (and women), but rather God, who judges our hearts.” (1 Thess. 2, 4)
Mother Teresa is reputed to have said: "I do not pray to be successful, I pray to be faithful." Sounds very much like St. Paul in today’s passage from first Thessalonians. He is not trying to please the people he is serving, but God. What a challenge both these great saints put before us.
Soon I will be celebrating another birthday, a time for reflection and hopefully some renewal. But I always smile ruefully at times like this because I continue to rely too much on others' approbation of my life and ministry, even though I know it is silly, even childish. While this enduring fault may be a good exercise in humility, I would like the grace to let go of success as a barometer of my value, and enter more deeply into the mystery of God’s presence all around us.
Since some of you may be struggling with this same fault, let me suggest a few practices that might be helpful.
- Take a moment each morning to hand over the day ahead. Ask God to make it holy and to help you not worry about the things you can’t control.
- Pause during the day in an intentional way and thank God for whatever is happening. Sometimes I set my watch alarm to buzz at noon and 5 pm to remind myself of this.
- When troubled (or obsessed) with others' behavior, ask what it is like for others to live with you as you are.
- Develop some form of repetitive prayer throughout the day. The Jesus prayer might be fine way to begin: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.”
A gospel life must be very simple. Don’t be afraid to laugh at yourself. Cluttering life with too much to do, too many worries, too many things to say or think gets in the way of knowing the heart of God at the heart of all that is.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Jephthah's Daughter
Fr. Paul Steffan, (RIP) a wonderful friar, taught public speaking while I was in high school. One of the techniques he used in the debate club to help us think broadly and openly was to have us argue for and against every topic we encountered. Last week, as our Congress debated endlessly about our federal budget, I wished Paul could have had a few minutes to suggest this technique to the leaders of both political parties. Putting ourselves in the shoes of our opponents is not only good debating technique, it reminds us of Jesus' command to, "Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31
Why this opening to a scripture reflection? Because I think Fr. Paul’s advice would have helped Jephthah in the book of Judges. (Judges 11: 29-391) Today’s text tells us that Jephthah vowed to God, if he was successful in battle against the Ammonites, to sacrifice the first thing he saw when he returned home after the battle. When Jephthah arrives home, he sees his only daughter dancing in joy because of her father's success. Though heartbroken, Jephthah felt like had no choice. A promise is a promise, after all. He would have to sacrifice his daughter!
Though the book of judges never says what Jephthah does, the rabbinic commentary for the first millennium was clear. Jephthah had to sacrifice his only child. Only later, a thousand years later, did the rabbis ask: Why didn’t Jephthah know that human sacrifice was expressly forbidden by the Torah and seek an alternate solution? (Lev 18:21) And why didn’t Jephthah’s rabbi remind him of the law?
In a fascinating Midrash,(1) the rabbi’s of the 11th century suggested that both Jephthah and his rabbi were both too proud to speak with one another. Jephthah says: I am a conquering hero, why should I consult a rabbi. I can talk directly with God. And Phineas, the name given to Jephthah’s rabbi says: Why should I share the wisdom of Torah with someone so uncultured and unlearned? Clinging to a power that belongs only to God condemns both men.
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