Sunday - Third Week of Lent

Today's readings: March 15, 2009
Reading One:
Ex 20:1-17 or 20:1-3, 7-8, 12-17 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 19:8, 9, 10, 11 ;
Second Reading: 1 Cor 1:22-25 ;
Gospel: Jn 2:13-25 ; go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page) And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)

I found an old book with reflections for Lent on the shelf today and picked it up for some reason after it sat on the shelf for 6 years unopened,since Lent 2003. Why, I have no idea. And I found the day that corresponded to today's readings that offered some thoughts from a priest named Father Richard Veras. He shared that for many people, Jesus is the nicest, sweetest, and kindest person we could ever imagine - and how we can begin to follow a figment of our imagination regarding who Jesus is and what he is about. We become like a little kid who dreams about finding Mr/Mrs Right and how our dreams are limited by our imagination, as opposed to what is actually the truth. The Jesus of our imagination can be malleable, and we can fall into the trap of manipulating this dreamy Jesus to rationalize every sin and leave unchallenged every attitude and behavior.

In today's reading, Jesus refuses to stay in the box of our imagined world. He breaks out of our imagined world and shows himself to be very real, and honestly it is kind of scary too. His disciples are also very confused.

But Jesus does not trust Himself to men because He understands our human nature all too well. He knows how we manipulate the truth and explain away things or situations that make us uneasy. So, what are supposed to do?

He asks us to trust not in ourselves or the imagined Jesus, the one we can put into a box with our limits - but to the Jesus that is beyond our understanding. The Jesus that is very real. The Jesus He really is. Our minds can actually make Him something less than He is if we fall into this trap. His Love is very much like a fire that can refine and purify but that will not be an easy or pleasant process a lot of the time. I spoke with a friend yesterday who told me she once prayed over and over again for patience. And in the course of the next year - so many difficult things happened where she learned to be patient because she had no choice. I laughed because I remembered similar experiences relating to prayer. And I said - you know what is funny, it didn't, in my own experience, have to be so hard, but my stubborn nature made it so. I actually did have a choice, I just needed to trust in Him, and not my imagined Jesus.

There's a good book on this subject that is called Your God is Too Small. Check it out for the first time or read it again if you find yourself in spot where your faith is dry or that you find yourself getting little out of your relationship with God. Have a great day of rest, and please pray for those you know that could use a prayer, including yourself. We all need prayers for ourselves and each other. And please, if you can - say a prayer for me.

First Sunday of Lent

Today's readings: March 1, 2009
Reading One: Gn 9: 7-15 ;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 ;
Gospel : Mk 1:12-15 ;
go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page)
And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)

Today is Sunday, so I am taking it easy and resting for next week. Tomorrow I will try and help Monsignor Bellow get his email more dialed in and hopefully get a chance to take some pictures of the new church we are building at St. Marks, and email the photos to Father Tien as per his request. Please take the time to check out the readings at the links above. Thanks for all your support and emails. For whatever reason, it seems like a lot of folks thought the story of my dog and the holy water was funny. I am not a cradle Catholic as they say, so honestly - I did not know any better. My point in sharing the story was more about opening my mind to listen to both sides of an issue. (an earlier entry of the subject might be of interest - A Tale of Two Worms).

While in Asheville, I had great time visiting with some old friends Bob & Linda, who I had not seen in over 10 years. While our political views are very different, we were able to discuss the current craziness of today's interesting times without animus or raising our voices. No personal attacks and very disparaging views were shared. It seems we were mellowed by the years, and whenever it looked like the discussion might veer into difficult waters, we were happy to defer the conversation to silence, and just be thrilled in our friendship, recognizing that we were not going to solve anything, but mostly that our friendship was more valuable than our opinions. A good lesson to learn and hold onto.

I had another good conversation relating this experience with some family members, as I honored Bob's request that he wanted to wish them well. We shared this thought. If you want folks to give Obama more support (which people should if they are disrespecting the office of the President), take off the Impeach Bush bumper sticker off your car. If you want to share your thoughts on global warming and how you think it is bogus, please listen to the concerns about how the ozone layer is depleting, and acknowledge that the carbon particles we are putting into the atmosphere might very well have an adverse effect on weather. In kind, please refrain from calling someone with a disparaging view a denier, as if the differing opinion somehow is equivalent to implying the Holocaust never existed. Basically,if you wish to have your opinions considered by someone with a different point of view, refrain from personal attacks, and be eager to listen, and slow to speak. And turn down the volume. Always remember wisdom begins withe three simple words - I DON'T KNOW.

I remembered the words offered in the Gospel; from February 11, 2009.(Mk 7:14-23), which was the Linda's birthday, my friend from Asheville who was kind enough to offer me a wonderful Indian meal and a place to rest my head. I am still thankful for Bob and Linda's generosity, and was happy to have the words embedded in my heart as we shared disparaging views on politics. Our friendship was more important than our differing opinions, especially on matters out of our control.

Jesus summoned the crowd again and said to them,
"Hear me, all of you, and understand.
Nothing that enters one from outside can defile that person;
but the things that come out from within are what defile."

When he got home away from the crowd
his disciples questioned him about the parable.
He said to them,
"Are even you likewise without understanding?
Do you not realize that everything
that goes into a person from outside cannot defile,
since it enters not the heart but the stomach
and passes out into the latrine?"

"But what comes out of the man, that is what defiles him.
From within the man, from his heart,
come evil thoughts, unchastity, theft, murder,
adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
licentiousness, envy, blasphemy, arrogance, folly.
All these evils come from within and they defile."