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What are you thinking about the Church these days???

What are you thinking about the Church these days???
The other day I was reading Scripture as I try to do everyday. The Book of Scripture I was reading was the First Book of Maccabees. I realize that this particular Book in Scripture isn’t one of the most familiar Books of the Old Testament but I was surprised at how the story of the Maccabee family brought me to think about something much more current.

As you may recall, the Book of Maccabees tells the story of the rebellion of the Jewish people against the Seleucid Empire in the second century before the birth of Christ. The Seleucids, a Hellenistic dynasty, inherited their Empire from the conquests of Alexander the Great. By 167 B.C. they had not just oppressed the people of Israel but finally outlawed all Jewish religious practice. That final act of oppression led to the rebellion led by the Maccabee family. Judah Maccabee was the leader of the revolt which began as a guerilla war against the much stronger Seleucid occupying army. After a series of guerilla actions that took place over a seven year period, the Seleucids had to withdraw and turn the government of Judea over to the Maccabees. The Seleucids weren’t able to withstand the Maccabean attacks because they were also being challenged by the Romans in other parts of their Empire.

But what struck me about this story of this time in the history of Israel was how the Maccabeans went about restoring the practice of the faith of Israel. We are told that as soon as their rebellion against the Seleucid empire was successful, the Maccabees restored the Temple and traditional worship, built a new altar and made their burnt offerings and sacrifices of praise. For the Maccabees the Temple was the place where God dwelt and deserved reverence. The restored Temple gave the whole nation its center of identity. Restoring the Temple filled them with joy and gladness so much so that they celebrated the restoration every year after that.

In the time of Jesus it seems that the reverence and place of honor that the Maccabeans gave to the Temple had already eroded to a much more mundane and utilitarian attitude. We hear stories in the Gospels about the way the chief priests, scribes and leaders of the people looked upon the Temple. They seemed more concerned about using the Temple as a place of commerce and even used the people’s worship to buy and sell “offerings.” The sense of the sacred is so obviously absent that Jesus becomes angry and drives the merchants and money-changers from the Temple courtyard. Their response to Jesus’ outrage wasn’t shame, but rather self-righteousness and a desire to destroy Jesus.

The contrast between these two attitudes toward the Temple got me thinking about my own attitudes toward the Church. For us the Church is the place where God dwells. Of course, the Church is more than a building or even a set of buildings. It is the body of Christ. And, we all are constituent parts of it. So, together with Christ we are the place where God dwells. We are sacred. We are the place where men and women meet God. Restoring the Temple brought joy and gladness to the Maccabees.
Does being the place where God dwells fill me with joy and gladness?

Especially now as the Church is so often being attacked by so many. Do I still look to the Church to find God?

Or, do I sometimes look away or feel ashamed?

O God, please give me eyes to see you in our midst!

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Time to Say Something, Do Something

Time to Say Something, Do Something

Much has been said for many years since the death of Martin Luther King. Some individuals are called to do great things in their lives. I recall the timing of his death as memorable, as I did when Jack Kennedy was killed. This might not be surprising for you all as American citizens, but bear in mind I was in growing up in England when this happened.
The same spark he lit in people for justice and love with fairness resonated with me my teen years. Someone standing up for what is right and willing to be disobedient to ensure everyone understood he would not stand for it.

Who does this remind you of in scripture?

Yes, Jesus Christ was a rebel in his own time. He would not stand for the double standards of the Pharisees; the moneychangers in the Temple and those willing to stone the adulteress. He stood up for the downtrodden, but also put down those stood in judgment of others without compassion, understanding, love and justice.

We always have the opportunity to reflect on how difficult it is to actually operate as a Christian in our divided world. The sacrifice of Dr. King illustrates how far some are willing to go to ensure the voice of equality is not just heard, but exercised.
It makes me consider if I am really sticking up for the disenfranchised and others who need help? Am I doing enough to make a Christian voice heard in a wilderness of divisiveness which envelopes much of the conversation today?
Dr. King reminds us all of the greatest love of all. The willingness to lay down your life for a friend. (John 15:13) In Dr. King’s case, he also did it for many who perhaps were not his friend at the time.

Martin Luther King … A reminder of Hope

The face is now silent,
Yet calls us to break from the stone,
To speak and act for justice and love.

DO MY ASSUMPTIONS FREE ME OR BIND ME?

DO MY ASSUMPTIONS FREE ME OR BIND ME?

For many years I was privileged to have Fr. Thomas More Newbold, C.P., as my spiritual director. He was a very wise and kind man and I loved him dearly. A comment he made to me during one of our conversations I still remember to this day. He said to me, “Mike, you are a highly intuitive person and you rightly trust your intuitions about people and situations. The trouble is, sometimes you’re right!” That was his gentle way of telling me that sometimes I’m quite wrong…so be careful about assuming too much about people or things based on your intuitions! It was a very important and helpful insight for me.
Have you ever made an assumption or jumped to a conclusion about a situation or person only to learn later that your assumption wasn’t right? If you haven’t done this, I want to meet you for you are very unique!
When one of my nieces was a senior in high school, she was in the process of selecting a college. During one of our conversations about her college plans, she confided in me that she was afraid that she was going to disappoint her parents. I asked why. She said that her parents wanted her to choose a college that had a strong soccer program since she was such a fine soccer player. Throughout high school she had played soccer and it was a big part of her life. But, she told me, she wasn’t so sure she wanted to play soccer in college. But, she didn’t want to disappoint her parents.
As we talked I suggested to her that the main reason her parents were so enthusiastic about soccer was their belief that she wanted to continue to play when she went to college. I assured her that they would support her in whatever decision she made about soccer, and that it was highly unlikely they would be disappointed in any way. So, she took the risk and told her parents what she really wanted. And, of course her parents were fine with it.

Do you find that surprising?

Assumptions that aren’t accurate can really blind us to possibilities. Remember the account in the Gospel of Luke in which the Sadducees, who didn’t believe in life after death, approached Jesus with what they believed was proof positive that such a notion as life after death was impossible. They assumed that if such a life existed it would have the same limitations our current life has. Jesus refused to accept their assumptions and opened a whole new vision for them.
Sometimes I wonder what possibilities we don’t see because we are limited by the assumptions we make. In the Gospel stories Jesus always encourages us not to be limited to our ordinary assumptions.
How blinded am I to possibilities because of the assumptions I make about people or situations?
How open am I to considering points of views different to my own?

MADE BY HAND

Sitting quietly in the apartment,
the need for life-giving water is never considered,
Just assumed.

In harmony, seemingly, with nature.
The dam holds the needs of thousands,
Bottled up, collecting the gift of life,
One drop at a time.

Our need for living water being insatiable,
As love should be.

“Get Out of the Boat”

“Get Out of the Boat”

We hear the phrase “get out of the boat” in scripture. (Mt 14:28-30) Peter sees Jesus walking on water and is invited to join him. Initially successful his trust in God fails, and then he begins to sink after an apparent few steps. Jesus saves him and brings him to safety.
This pattern is often prevalent in our own lives. We ask for proof of God’s love, but when called to trust in God we find ourselves failing and then require further rescue. It is interesting to note that while we spend much time creating a barrage of requests for God to bestow us with gifts from our prayers of intercession, we often do less when it comes to simple acts of trust or worship in our prayer life.

Perhaps we can consider some other prayer forms which don’t have us coming to God always with our shopping list of personals needs. After all, we all know how we feel about relatives and “friends” who only show up when they need something, versus those who are visiting and contact us solely because they love us, or care for us.

This week, I will try and approach God with an attitude of trust and love. Remaining open to His will with a mindset of trust, not the attitude of “prove it” which we see too frequently.
If we trust in Him, all will be good. For He is “with us always”.

How is your prayer life at this time?

TREES

Trees, awaiting the dawn again without agenda,
Today may be a cold one,
So less sunlight and moisture for our roots,
Nevertheless, we stand together,
Grateful and trusting.

That we will be nourished and stand for another season.

Freedom, the Beatitudes and My Life

Freedom, the Beatitudes and My Life
Our nation has a wonderful tradition of freedom. There are few examples of countries who have offered themselves up to maintain the freedom of others. Perhaps the most essential expression of the greatest love. To lay down your life for another. Many thousands of American citizens have died for the love of their fellow man. May God Bless them all.
Blessed John Duns Scotus, the thirteenth-century Franciscan theologian, expresses God’s greatest gift to us is our freedom and our free will. This is the way we can show our alignment with God in all our actions or words. Or not as the case may be. We have the option to use our free will in whatever form we want. Only to be moderated by the law.
Scotus continues to illustrate with this with blinding simplicity, if our choices are based in love, then they are from God. So, patterns of love are exercised if we align ourselves with God, and therefore do His will with this in our heart. All other actions are not of God.
This simple message is best communicated in Jesus’s words on the Sermon on the Mount, in the beatitudes. Here, and thoroughly, the Way of God is illustrated in all parts of our lives. Loving others, caring for the poor needy, surrendering to God, are all there.
This coming week we have a way of communicating His will using the beatitudes and His love in our duty to vote for those who best represent our personal values and beliefs. It is always a time for me to dig deep into these bigger questions and move beyond the sound bites and divisiveness which seems to encourage a polarizing atmosphere. I often feel, listening to the news that I am hearing “The United Hates of America” and so little of what caused me to move here, so little of what truly makes up the character of an accepting, loving, nurturing and generous nation which was the one I came to in the 1980s. While I am still optimistic, my own decisions, not just in voting, but in everyday life, continue to be informed by these guidelines in the beatitudes.
The word beatitude means “supreme blessedness.” How beautiful is that? Today, I need this blessedness to guide me during my days and weeks. And I will use them on Monday as I make decisions to determine who I feel is most aligned with those instructions from the Sermon on the Mount.

How are the beatitudes playing out in your life? Perhaps I can pick on one for the week and see how important it is to me and those around me.

I also pray the divisiveness which permeates the country, communities and even families will be dissipated soon, washed away in the Blood of Christ and the Eucharist we celebrate together today.

Oversensitive

When the pain comes in from those who dislike you,
Or what you have done,
Or seems you had done;
The fork in the road rushes up.

To vilify and engage in debate,
Shredding their argument,
And then their clothes;
Until they are left naked, and your work is done.

Or listen and pray,
Perhaps then, we might hear what is behind the words,
The critiques, the noise,
And learn what is in their heart.

Which may tell us what is in ours.

What are you thinking about the Church these days???

Time to Say Something, Do Something

DO MY ASSUMPTIONS FREE ME OR BIND ME?

“Get Out of the Boat”

Freedom, the Beatitudes and My Life

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