Wednesday Fifth Week of Lent

Daily Readings for Lent
Today's readings: March 24, 2010
First Reading: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95;
Responsorial Psalm: 102:2-3, 16-18, 19-21 ;
Gospel:  Jn 8:12-20 ;

And here's an audio file and a video of a priest offering reflections.

First Reading:  Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95 ;
King Nebuchadnezzar said:
“Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
that you will not serve my god,
or worship the golden statue that I set up?
Be ready now to fall down and worship the statue I had made,
whenever you hear the sound of the trumpet,
flute, lyre, harp, psaltery, bagpipe,
and all the other musical instruments;
otherwise, you shall be instantly cast into the white-hot furnace;
and who is the God who can deliver you out of my hands?”
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered King Nebuchadnezzar,
“There is no need for us to defend ourselves before you
in this matter.
If our God, whom we serve,
can save us from the white-hot furnace
and from your hands, O king, may he save us!
But even if he will not, know, O king,
that we will not serve your god
or worship the golden statue that you set up.”
King Nebuchadnezzar’s face became livid with utter rage
against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
He ordered the furnace to be heated seven times more than usual
and had some of the strongest men in his army
bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
and cast them into the white-hot furnace.
Nebuchadnezzar rose in haste and asked his nobles,
“Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?”
“Assuredly, O king,” they answered.
“But,” he replied, “I see four men unfettered and unhurt,
walking in the fire, and the fourth looks like a son of God.”
Nebuchadnezzar exclaimed,
“Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego,
who sent his angel to deliver the servants who trusted in him;
they disobeyed the royal command and yielded their bodies
rather than serve or worship any god
except their own God.”


Responsorial Psalm  Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56;
R.         Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you, O Lord, the God of our fathers,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever;
And blessed is your holy and glorious name,
praiseworthy and exalted above all for all ages.”
R.         Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the temple of your holy glory,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.
R.         Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you on the throne of your kingdom,
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R.         Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you who look into the depths
from your throne upon the cherubim;
praiseworthy and exalted above all forever.”
R.         Glory and praise for ever!
“Blessed are you in the firmament of heaven,
praiseworthy and glorious forever.”
R.         Glory and praise for ever!

Gospel   Jn 8:31-42
Jesus said to those Jews who believed in him,
“If you remain in my word, you will truly be my disciples,
and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
They answered him, “We are descendants of Abraham
and have never been enslaved to anyone.
How can you say, ‘You will become free’?”
Jesus answered them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
A slave does not remain in a household forever,
but a son always remains.
So if the Son frees you, then you will truly be free.
I know that you are descendants of Abraham.
But you are trying to kill me,
because my word has no room among you.
I tell you what I have seen in the Father’s presence;
then do what you have heard from the Father.”
They answered and said to him, “Our father is Abraham.”
Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children,
you would be doing the works of Abraham.
But now you are trying to kill me,
a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God;
Abraham did not do this.
You are doing the works of your father!”
So they said to him, “We were not born of fornication.
We have one Father, God.”
Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me,
for I came from God and am here;
I did not come on my own, but he sent me.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary:  How I love the story of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Huh? Yeah, those are the men's names, which were changed to Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego when they were taken captive and sent to Babylon as slaves after the Kingdom of Israel was squashed following a period when they fell apart, not only from each other - but they also fell out of their relationship with God. God did not stop loving them, as we see in the story - but the people fell out of love with their God. And soon after, they fell apart amongst themselves and the 12 Kingdoms of Israel were divided. (here's a link to an old song about this fiery furnace story).

As I recall this story, and also a good bit of text in the Old Testament - so much of ye Olde, is steeped in anger, retribution and hate. There is song called The River of Babylon, which recalls the period of time, and also this sentiment of resentment and anger. The original song - is psalm 137. When I was younger, my first introduction to the song was on vinyl from a band called The Melodians. Later on, the song was re-recorded by Jimmy Cliff, Boney M and many others. Here's the Melodians version, on vinyl.



If you listen to the song, and open up the words of the original, psalm 137 - yikes, you can see what I mean. This is one angry song on many levels. It is also a very tender song on other levels. Such is the world of the Old Testament, and the old covenant - where the letter of the law rules.

Jesus comes on the scene, and turns everything upside down. He gives the world a New Covenant, not just the chosen people as described in the Old Testament, it is for all God's children. What is important is not the letter of the law, but the intent of the heart toward the law and love we share, not only with God but with each other too. He turns it all upside down - Love your enemies and pray for them. (wow, this is some powerful medicine too, with healing power beyond the realm of healthcare reform hahaha). Jesus' advice is spelled out in Gospels, and the upside down nature is made clear in The Beatitudes, and the world of intent of the heart being the new law in the New Covenant.

Let me end this yammering (sorry, a little self deprecation and laughter is a good thing)... with one line from today's Gospel.

you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

The truth hurts, or the truth will set you free. If the truth is the truth, it never changes. The only difference on whether the truth will hurt, or whether the truth will set you free - is a person's reaction to the truth. If you are already mostly free, remember that your greatest talent is the capacity to love, and that this talent is a gift from God. Use it with reckless abandon and live a life beyond your wildest dreams. If you are struggling with the guilt of sinfulness (and we all are in some capacity) and caught in a prison of stress and torment, don't blame others - but see it in a new way. Change. In your crisis, You have been blessed with a huge opportunity to love, and to grow in faith. Ask God for help, how He loves such prayers - just ask, help me to love You perfectly God, and to love your children like You do. And go dancing in the fire.

And another song for the day. SDG - soli dei gloria. (if you hate it, blame me. if you like it, SDG - which is Latin for: all glory to God alone).

Monday Fifth Week of Lent

Daily Readings for Lent
Today's readings: March 22, 2010
First Reading: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62;
Responsorial Psalm: 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 ;
Gospel:  Jn 8:12-20 ;

And here's an audio file and a video of a priest offering reflections.

First Reading:  Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62 ;
In Babylon there lived a man named Joakim,
who married a very beautiful and God-fearing woman, Susanna,
the daughter of Hilkiah;
her pious parents had trained their daughter
according to the law of Moses.
Joakim was very rich;
he had a garden near his house,
and the Jews had recourse to him often
because he was the most respected of them all. That year, two elders of the people were appointed judges,
of whom the Lord said, “Wickedness has come out of Babylon:
from the elders who were to govern the people as judges.”
These men, to whom all brought their cases,
frequented the house of Joakim.
When the people left at noon,
Susanna used to enter her husband’s garden for a walk.
When the old men saw her enter every day for her walk,
they began to lust for her.
They suppressed their consciences;
they would not allow their eyes to look to heaven,
and did not keep in mind just judgments.
One day, while they were waiting for the right moment,
she entered the garden as usual, with two maids only.
She decided to bathe, for the weather was warm.
Nobody else was there except the two elders,
who had hidden themselves and were watching her.
“Bring me oil and soap,” she said to the maids,
“and shut the garden doors while I bathe.”
As soon as the maids had left,
the two old men got up and hurried to her.
“Look,” they said, “the garden doors are shut, and no one can see us;
give in to our desire, and lie with us.
If you refuse, we will testify against you
that you dismissed your maids because a young man was here with you.”
“I am completely trapped,” Susanna groaned.
“If I yield, it will be my death;
if I refuse, I cannot escape your power.
Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt
than to sin before the Lord.”
Then Susanna shrieked, and the old men also shouted at her,
as one of them ran to open the garden doors.
When the people in the house heard the cries from the garden,
they rushed in by the side gate to see what had happened to her.
At the accusations by the old men,
the servants felt very much ashamed,
for never had any such thing been said about Susanna.
When the people came to her husband Joakim the next day,
the two wicked elders also came,
fully determined to put Susanna to death.
Before all the people they ordered:
“Send for Susanna, the daughter of Hilkiah,
the wife of Joakim.”
When she was sent for,
she came with her parents, children and all her relatives.
All her relatives and the onlookers were weeping.
In the midst of the people the two elders rose up
and laid their hands on her head.
Through tears she looked up to heaven,
for she trusted in the Lord wholeheartedly.
The elders made this accusation:
“As we were walking in the garden alone,
this woman entered with two girls
and shut the doors of the garden, dismissing the girls.
A young man, who was hidden there, came and lay with her.
When we, in a corner of the garden, saw this crime,
we ran toward them.
We saw them lying together,
but the man we could not hold, because he was stronger than we;
he opened the doors and ran off.
Then we seized her and asked who the young man was,
but she refused to tell us.
We testify to this.”
The assembly believed them,
since they were elders and judges of the people,
and they condemned her to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him, “What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him,
“Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah, beauty has seduced you,
lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.
or
The assembly condemned Susanna to death.
But Susanna cried aloud:
“O eternal God, you know what is hidden
and are aware of all things before they come to be:
you know that they have testified falsely against me.
Here I am about to die,
though I have done none of the things
with which these wicked men have charged me.”
The Lord heard her prayer.
As she was being led to execution,
God stirred up the holy spirit of a young boy named Daniel,
and he cried aloud:
“I will have no part in the death of this woman.”
All the people turned and asked him,
“What is this you are saying?”
He stood in their midst and continued,
“Are you such fools, O children of Israel!
To condemn a woman of Israel without examination
and without clear evidence?
Return to court, for they have testified falsely against her.”
Then all the people returned in haste.
To Daniel the elders said,
“Come, sit with us and inform us,
since God has given you the prestige of old age.”
But he replied,
“Separate these two far from each other that I may examine them.”
After they were separated one from the other,
he called one of them and said:
“How you have grown evil with age!
Now have your past sins come to term:
passing unjust sentences, condemning the innocent,
and freeing the guilty, although the Lord says,
‘The innocent and the just you shall not put to death.’
Now, then, if you were a witness,
tell me under what tree you saw them together.”
“Under a mastic tree,” he answered.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you your head,
for the angel of God shall receive the sentence from him
and split you in two.”
Putting him to one side, he ordered the other one to be brought.
Daniel said to him, “Offspring of Canaan, not of Judah,
beauty has seduced you, lust has subverted your conscience.
This is how you acted with the daughters of Israel,
and in their fear they yielded to you;
but a daughter of Judah did not tolerate your wickedness.
Now, then, tell me under what tree you surprised them together.”
“Under an oak,” he said.
Daniel replied, “Your fine lie has cost you also your head,”
for the angel of God waits with a sword to cut you in two
so as to make an end of you both.”
The whole assembly cried aloud,
blessing God who saves those who hope in him.
They rose up against the two elders,
for by their own words Daniel had convicted them of perjury.
According to the law of Moses,
they inflicted on them
the penalty they had plotted to impose on their neighbor:
they put them to death.
Thus was innocent blood spared that day.

Responsorial Psalm  23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6;
R.        Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R.        Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R.        Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R.        Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R.       Even though I walk in the dark valley I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

Gospel   Jn 8:12-20
 “I am the light of the world.
Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness,
but will have the light of life.”
So the Pharisees said to him,
“You testify on your own behalf,
so your testimony cannot be verified.”
Jesus answered and said to them,
“Even if I do testify on my own behalf, my testimony can be verified,       
because I know where I came from and where I am going.
But you do not know where I come from or where I am going.
You judge by appearances, but I do not judge anyone.
And even if I should judge, my judgment is valid,
because I am not alone,
but it is I and the Father who sent me.
Even in your law it is written
that the testimony of two men can be verified.
I testify on my behalf and so does the Father who sent me.”
So they said to him, “Where is your father?”
Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father.
If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”
He spoke these words
while teaching in the treasury in the temple area.
But no one arrested him, because his hour had not yet come.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Commentary: The story from Daniel in the first reading is one of my favorites. Susanna is caught in a perfect mess. If she tells the truth, she fears she will be killed. If she lies, she will be humiliate herself and her family. She has no way out - but as we see, the problem is not so simple. There is another way out, and she does not suffer death or humiliation. She is vindicated, by trusting in God, even to the point of death. Remember this story - read it again. I have found myself in a similar situation, and this story gave me guidance, and I followed the path that Susanna took. I did not suffer from my worst fears either. In the end, I was vindicated by trusting in God. If you think about it, death is a certainty. It really is better to die with your integrity intact.

I love psalm 23. I remember it from when I was a child and how the words moved me even then, though I hardly understood the depth of what was being said. Last year, I shared a deeply personal story about this psalm, - you can read it if you like.

And in John's Gospel today, Jesus continues his quiet discussion, trying to explain to anyone who would listen - that He really was, and is - the Son of God. If you open your mind and heart for just a little bit, and throw away all those things you hold on tightly as your opinion on this, and not try and put God in your little box - you might just find that He is actually being perfectly truthful. And with this change of heart, you might just find that whole life has changed. That will take time of course, but it is a great way to start this new day. And if you already believe - do the same thing. And get Jesus out of the box you have put God in. He's a lot bigger than that you know.

Tuesday, Third Week of Lent

Daily Readings for Lent
Today's readings: March 9, 2010
First Reading: Dn 3:25, 34-43;
Responsorial Psalm: 25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9 ;
Gospel: Mt 18:21-35 ;

And here's an audio file and a video of a priest offering reflections.

First Reading:  Dn 3:25, 34-43
Azariah stood up in the fire and prayed aloud:
“For your name’s sake, O Lord, do not deliver us up forever,
or make void your covenant.
Do not take away your mercy from us,
for the sake of Abraham, your beloved,
Isaac your servant, and Israel your holy one,
To whom you promised to multiply their offspring
like the stars of heaven,
or the sand on the shore of the sea.
For we are reduced, O Lord, beyond any other nation,
brought low everywhere in the world this day
because of our sins.
We have in our day no prince, prophet, or leader,
no burnt offering, sacrifice, oblation, or incense,
no place to offer first fruits, to find favor with you.
But with contrite heart and humble spirit
let us be received;
As though it were burnt offerings of rams and bullocks,
or thousands of fat lambs,
So let our sacrifice be in your presence today
as we follow you unreservedly;
for those who trust in you cannot be put to shame.
And now we follow you with our whole heart,
we fear you and we pray to you.
Do not let us be put to shame,
but deal with us in your kindness and great mercy.
Deliver us by your wonders,
and bring glory to your name, O Lord.”

Responsorial Psalm  25:4-5ab, 6 and 7bc, 8-9
R.         Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
Guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R.        Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your kindness are from of old.
In your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R.        Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
he teaches the humble his way.
R.        Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Gospel   Mt 18:21-35
Peter approached Jesus and asked him,
“Lord, if my brother sins against me,
how often must I forgive him?
As many as seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I say to you, not seven times but seventy-seven times.
That is why the Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who decided to settle accounts with his servants.
When he began the accounting,
a debtor was brought before him who owed him a huge amount.
Since he had no way of paying it back,
his master ordered him to be sold,
along with his wife, his children, and all his property,
in payment of the debt.
At that, the servant fell down, did him homage, and said,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back in full.’
Moved with compassion the master of that servant
let him go and forgave him the loan.
When that servant had left, he found one of his fellow servants
who owed him a much smaller amount.
He seized him and started to choke him, demanding,
‘Pay back what you owe.’
Falling to his knees, his fellow servant begged him,
‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’
But he refused.
Instead, he had him put in prison
until he paid back the debt.
Now when his fellow servants saw what had happened,
they were deeply disturbed, and went to their master
and reported the whole affair.
His master summoned him and said to him, ‘You wicked servant!
I forgave you your entire debt because you begged me to.
Should you not have had pity on your fellow servant,
as I had pity on you?’
Then in anger his master handed him over to the torturers
until he should pay back the whole debt.
So will my heavenly Father do to you,
unless each of you forgives your brother from your heart.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Commentary: For me, today's readings remind me of something I am so thankful for. God knows me, through and through - yes, the good stuff, but I would be wise to give that credit to God - but also, all the stupid and annoying parts about me too. The parts that are angry, tweaking, bullheaded, prideful, self absorbed (ok, I do not need to go on here - HA! I can forgive myself too. You do the same please.) And even knowing all that stuff - God still loves me. Suggestions to self - 1) ask God to help me do the same to others. 2) Do my best to do this too, with all my heart.

I love the story of Azariah... years ago, I had a confirmation class, and our "name" for the class was Azariah's Prayer. So - here's two multimedia files in honor of those wonderful kids. First, one from last year - a group called The Golden Gate Quartet recorded this song about the story in Charlotte many years ago. Check it out. And second, here's an audio file - of one of the kids (Janelle) in that Azariah's Prayer confirmation class, reading a story called The Parable of the Lilly. The kids are now much older, in college - I am so thankful, I saved those audio files. I hope it puts a big smile on your face and that your mind wanders to that place, when you were just a little kid.

Wednesday - Fifth Week of Lent

Today's readings: April 1, 2009
Reading One: Dn 3:14-20, 91-92, 95;
Responsorial Psalm: Daniel 3:52, 53, 54, 55, 56 ;
Gospel: Jn 8:31-42;
go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page) And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)

The story offered in today's first reading and psalm will always be special to me, because of my experience teaching confirmation to wonderful group of children. We were asked to come up with a name for our group, and we chose Azariah's prayer. Now the three guys in the story - Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, were each given new names when they were captives in Babylon. Abednego is also named Azariah, so relax - if you knew the story, you would know that. And in the same way - each child in confirmation is given a new name, one they chose which is also their patron Saint. For me - my new name became Joseph. I picked St. Joseph because he was very wise, yet humble. He has no speaking part in the bible. I needed to learn this virtue, humility - and I certainly knew that all too well, but I digress. The story of Azariah's prayer is what I want to think about today.

These three gents are about to tossed into a raging fire. The fire is so hot - it burned up the soldier who was stoking the fire. HOT! They are about to die a terrible and frightening death. And instead of serving a false God, they do not relent, and choose being burned alive as opposed to bowing down before the king of this world - who was King Nebuchadnezzar, back in the day. Well, poor King Nebuchadnezzar is really really!!! mad at this - because he is so certain he is of his own greatness, and as such, orders everyone to bow down before his statue when the trumpet blows. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refuse to do so.

Azariah offers such a beautiful prayer - first acknowledging his own foolishness, and apologizing to God for being an unworthy servant. He says - if God decides to let us burn alive, it is because we deserve it, due to our own sinfulness. But God is great and can do anything, and in all humility - Azariah asks God, if it is His will - to let them not burn alive. But God does is right. Let His will be done. God the Father hears Azariah's sweet prayer, and they see four men, not three in the fire. The fourth man, is called the Son of God in the story, a name that Jesus will be known by - hundreds of years later. The fourth person in the fire is also called an angel. Who is it? How am I supposed to know, I only know, or believe, that God came to their rescue, just as Jesus comes to our rescue. And they emerge from the fire, totally fine. They don't even smell like smoke. And when they are in the fire, they are seen to be dancing in delight. Having a great time in the land of Babylon as the song goes (see below).

The Gospel features Jesus telling the people - the Truth, the way it is, like it or not. If you loved the Father, you would not be trying to kill Jesus. You would hear His words, and know indeed that He comes with a message of love from God the Father. The reason they want to kill him - is because the words Jesus speaks shine a light on their own shame and sins. They hate their sinfulness, just as we all should should. The problem is - they blame Jesus for shining a light on this truth, instead of following the path and prayer of Azariah. All of us are given the same choice. And, judging from my own experiences - we will all be tossed into a fire of some kind during the course of life. My prayer today - is that people choose the prayer of Azariah, and not to bow down to the king of this world below. Jesus saves you from the fire - the king of this world is the one who throws you into it.

Years ago - a song was recorded in Charlotte, NC by The Golden Gate Quartet - at a small recording studio at Sharon Rd and Providence Rd, which is now Hotel Charlotte, a bar. I thought you might enjoy it. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

Monday - Fifth Week of Lent

Today's readings: March 30, 2009
Reading One: Dn 13:1-9, 15-17, 19-30, 33-62 or 13:41c-62;
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 ;
Gospel: Jn 8:1-11;
go to this page (for all three sections listed above on one page) And here's an audio file; & reflections (video)

I love today's readings - the story in Daniel is like a biblical Perry Mason (Perry Mason was one of my favorite shows too, the old B&W tv shows, not the much later movies). And for the Gospel, you get two amazing readings - including the option where Jesus declares that He is the Light of the world, which I find pretty fascinating given the topic of Saturday's post, and no - I did not look ahead.

Today I was planning on sharing another amazing story - of how good God has been to me, and it involved Psalm 23 - again.... hmmmm interesting Holy Spirit synchronicity. A few years ago, I sat next an older gentlemen in his 80s named David. Like myself, David came to mass everyday and also liked to get in early to be still and pray. I learned a lot about prayer from David, as he showed me by his example, about prayer in a listening mode. Not the variety of prayer where you say prayers and ask God for assistance - but just being absolutely still and listening. But what I remember most about David, was his Irish accent, and the way he wished me well at the "kiss of peace" part of the mass after the Lord's prayer. I mean, I will never forget it - love just poured out of this sweet man as he said Peace be with you Willy, (imagine how sweet Willy sounded with an Irish brogue - it was delightful :~). Well - many years went by, and every now and then David would miss mass because of a doctor appointment conflict, or he was doing something for a friend or family member. One day this happened, and I really didn't think much of it.

But then, while I was being quite in prayer and listening - something amazing happened. Another one of those fugue states- but this time I was totally transported into a different place. First I went through a dazzling array of colors, and then some clouds, and through a beautiful natural area in the sky that was just to beautiful too explain. I was just watching from a distance, and I saw David. Suddenly Jesus appeared on a hill and ran toward David and gave him the biggest bear hug, clasped his hands and they did a wonderful dance holding hands and spinning in a tight circle. Jesus said to him, David - my dear friend. Welcome, how I have longed to dance with you and see your eyes twinkle when we got to see each other face to face. Then David just did the most amazing Irish kind of river dance and he was spry as a young lad as he smiled and wept happy tears. And then I woke up suddenly because the priest, Father Reid came in and began mass. It took me a few moments to pull outta of the waking dream, but I will never forget the colors - so many rich and swirling colors.

The next day I learned that David died yesterday and wasn't coming back to ever give me that warm greeting - Peace with you Willy (the Irish brogue Willy). And I was kind of sad,, but soon remembered the dreamy fugue state from the day before. I think I have shared this story with maybe one or two people - because it is just too remarkable for anyone to believe - in fact the people I told it to thought I was imaging the whole thing but I wasn't. And for some reason - I looked at the psalm from the day before. The response was - I found my servant David. And I think it only comes up once every 2 years as an option. I shared this with Father Reid - and when he shared the sad (and happy news) of David's passing - he shared with the small group that Willy pointed out the response from yesterday's psalm - I have found my servant David. For those of us who knew the quiet gentle Irishman, no one doubted for a minute - because if David wasn't getting into heaven, the rest of us were in deep trouble. hahaha. He was a wonderful man, and I still miss him but I will never forget how he would say - Peace be with you Willy. So - in David's memory - I wrote a song to remember psalm 23 (not the responsorial from that day, but one of my favorite psalms from King David). I picked that one, because his daughter, who I had never met before - asked me to read at David's funeral mass. She told me David just loved me so much, he would want me to read. I felt it every time he offered me peace. I loved him too. The responsorial for the funeral - was psalm 23. Here's the song I wrote to help remember how Psalm 23 goes. My apologies for singing so badly, but I do remember the words anyway - and was able to remember them when I was in the hospital with a family that asked if anyone knew how psalm 23 went.

Please say a prayer for Stewart, Peter, Charlotte, Jim, Florence, Louise, Jennie, Claire and Michelle, Sara, Katie, Brian and Jenn, and if you have time - please say a prayer for me.