"If, however, you turn away your hearts and will not listen, but are led astray and adore and serve other gods, I tell you now that you will certainly perish." Dt 30:17
Listening with our hearts is easier to talk about than do. It means putting aside our personal concerns, quieting our insides and attending to the person speaking with undivided attention. Most often we can only do this for a few moments, but even this is better than nothing. When we listen with our hearts the other person knows we are not simply being patient, but that we are waiting with anticipation to know them more deeply.
God does this for us all the time. If we had to pick the most dominant theme in the Hebrew Bible, it is God's fidelity and availability to the Chosen people. Even when kings, prophets and priests forget God, God remembers and heals them. As Isaiah reminds us, "the word of our God will stand forever." (40:8)
Jesus, the fullness of God's word, seems always to be listening with his heart to the cries of the poor. The sick, the lame, the grieving all come to Jesus for nourishment and hope, and even when their burdens are not lifted completely, they know that Jesus has heard their cry and walks with them.
Today, accompany someone without saying a word. Just listen.
What is most difficult about listening with your heart?
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Return to God
"Return to me with your whole heart, with fasting, and weeping, and mourning; Rend your hearts, not your garments, and return to the LORD, your God." Jl 2:12
The prophet Joel is so clear. Fasting and mourning are to rend our hearts, to help us turn to God again. They have no value in themselves. Only when fasting, prayer, and almsgiving remind us of God's unconditional love, do they become spiritual practices that challenge us to change and renew our faith.
Sometimes there is no need to fast or give alms. When our lives fall apart, when families struggle relationally, or soul friends suffer with a terminal illness, our penance is clear. We must sit quietly and accompany those in need with an open spirit and a compassionate heart. This is never easy, but always necessary, and fulfills the command of Jesus to visit the imprisoned, feed the hungry and welcome the stranger.
Today, do a simple penance. Visit a lonely neighbor.
What will help you move towards Easter with joy?
The prophet Joel is so clear. Fasting and mourning are to rend our hearts, to help us turn to God again. They have no value in themselves. Only when fasting, prayer, and almsgiving remind us of God's unconditional love, do they become spiritual practices that challenge us to change and renew our faith.
Sometimes there is no need to fast or give alms. When our lives fall apart, when families struggle relationally, or soul friends suffer with a terminal illness, our penance is clear. We must sit quietly and accompany those in need with an open spirit and a compassionate heart. This is never easy, but always necessary, and fulfills the command of Jesus to visit the imprisoned, feed the hungry and welcome the stranger.
Today, do a simple penance. Visit a lonely neighbor.
What will help you move towards Easter with joy?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Tradition
"You nullify the word of God in favor of your tradition that you have handed on." Mk 7:13
Ours is a traditional faith. We value all that has gone before us, and treasure the memory of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The word traditional is telling. It means to hand over to the next generation that which has been given to us by our ancestors.
Catholics are traditional in this sense, not only in our parish faith communities, but also in our homes. Rituals are passed from one generation to the next as gifts that carry our deepest values. Almost every culture has its own rituals that complement the Eucharist and other sacraments.
Babka, for instance, is a rich rising bread that people in the Ukraine bake for Easter. Families break pieces off and share it among themselves in order to remember that Christ's rising from the dead is a rich and sweet memory, but like every tradition, it can undermine our most basic values. When we worry more about celebrating the ritual correctly than the values it represents, we fall into the same sin as the Pharisees. Tradition becomes a trap that trips people up rather than an evocative celebration that sets us free.
Today, bless yourself with holy water and remember your baptism.
What are your favorite family rituals?
Ours is a traditional faith. We value all that has gone before us, and treasure the memory of Jesus' life, death and resurrection. The word traditional is telling. It means to hand over to the next generation that which has been given to us by our ancestors.
Catholics are traditional in this sense, not only in our parish faith communities, but also in our homes. Rituals are passed from one generation to the next as gifts that carry our deepest values. Almost every culture has its own rituals that complement the Eucharist and other sacraments.
Babka, for instance, is a rich rising bread that people in the Ukraine bake for Easter. Families break pieces off and share it among themselves in order to remember that Christ's rising from the dead is a rich and sweet memory, but like every tradition, it can undermine our most basic values. When we worry more about celebrating the ritual correctly than the values it represents, we fall into the same sin as the Pharisees. Tradition becomes a trap that trips people up rather than an evocative celebration that sets us free.
Today, bless yourself with holy water and remember your baptism.
What are your favorite family rituals?
Sunday, February 10, 2013
God's Gift of Creation
“Let there be light,” and there was light. God saw how good the light was. God then separated the light from the darkness. God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” Gen 1:2-3
The first book of the bible is thrilling. Dramatic and moving, Genesis introduces us to a loving God who creates all that is as a gift for us and our joy. Light, sky, earth, sea, moon and sun are all legacies that we are to enjoy and share in the name of a living God.
Hidden within these gifts is also a subtle warning. Creation belongs to all, not to a particular race or religion. God spreads God's goodness to everyone like a blanket on a sleeping child. God's love is not something to hoard or possess, but to enjoy and celebrate. So glad are we for God's protection and largesse that we are compelled to tell the world of God's love and work diligently for justice.
The bible is full of stories about God's insistence that we distribute God's gifts freely among all. Today's gospel reminds us that people had only to touch the tassel of Jesus' cloak to be healed. Jesus did not push anyone in need away, but allowed all, even the unclean who believed, to experience his restorative power.
Today, be grateful for the light of creation and friends.
What of creation speaks most loudly to you of God's goodness?
The first book of the bible is thrilling. Dramatic and moving, Genesis introduces us to a loving God who creates all that is as a gift for us and our joy. Light, sky, earth, sea, moon and sun are all legacies that we are to enjoy and share in the name of a living God.
Hidden within these gifts is also a subtle warning. Creation belongs to all, not to a particular race or religion. God spreads God's goodness to everyone like a blanket on a sleeping child. God's love is not something to hoard or possess, but to enjoy and celebrate. So glad are we for God's protection and largesse that we are compelled to tell the world of God's love and work diligently for justice.
The bible is full of stories about God's insistence that we distribute God's gifts freely among all. Today's gospel reminds us that people had only to touch the tassel of Jesus' cloak to be healed. Jesus did not push anyone in need away, but allowed all, even the unclean who believed, to experience his restorative power.
Today, be grateful for the light of creation and friends.
What of creation speaks most loudly to you of God's goodness?
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