Lenten Reflection: Judging

Jesus said to his disciples: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. Stop judging and you will not be judged. Stop condemning and you will not be condemned. Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give and gifts will be given to you; a good measure, packed together, shaken down, and overflowing, will be poured into your lap. For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you.” (Lk. 6:36-38)

What else needs to be said?

Lenten reflection: Peter's words

Beloved:
I exhort the presbyters among you, as a fellow presbyter and witness to the sufferings of Christ and one who has a share in the glory to be revealed.  Tend the flock of God in your midst, overseeing not by constraint but willingly, as God would have it, not for shameful profit but eagerly.  Do not lord it over those assigned to you, but be examples to the flock. And when the chief Shepherd is revealed you will receive the unfading crown of glory. (1Pt. 5:1-4)

Looking at the scandals, the cappa magnas, the dictates underscored by excommunications, the untold millions in the Vatican coffers...I find these words in the lectionary today hard to reconcile with the clergy of the church which celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter.

Lenten reading : easy words, hard deeds

Jesus said to his disciples:
“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your heavenly Father, for he makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what recompense will you have? Do not the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brothers and sisters only, what is unusual about that? Do not the unbelievers do the same? So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Mt. 5:43-48)

Again, there's no compact in scripture which says that it is easy to do these things; to return kindness for cruelty, love for hate, compassion for prejudice.  Doesn't mean we shouldn't....just an acknowledgement that is can be a difficult task some days.

Lenten reading :A heart of stone

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. (Heb. 3:12-14)

In our world today, it is so very easy to harden one's heart, to denigrate our fellow man and, in doing so, disrespect the Divine which is in each and every one of us.  It is a simple matter to argue that they are not like us, that we live in different worlds and that our understanding of Truth is superior to another.

This is the way of a hardened and unbelieving heart, for in denying the truth another sees, we deny the Truth itself.  To argue that there is a 'them' ignores that we are all together, we are all one.  To do anything other than acknowledge the Divine in someone else denies the Divine in everything, including ourselves.  If Christians hold that God is omnipresent, then She lies within me as much as He resides within you.  To believe in the Divine is to uplift one another.  To be good is to see the good in all, both others and oneself.

Further reflection: a more positive approach

After posting, there is something else which needs to be said, lest it be considered that all of my experiences, learning and study have jaded vision such that there is no hope.

Consider the words of the Master:
 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth."

“For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? ....? And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? .... You of little faith! Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?' For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you."

"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Mat. 6)

One cannot serve both the Lord of Heaven and the god of earthly riches.  Decide who you love more, and follow them with your whole heart.  If one has chosen to serve the Lord of Heaven, then there is no reason to worry about the 'little things' of this world.  If one has chosen to serve the master of money, then matters of the next world are of no consequence.

Who do you love?  Who do you trust?

The Divine will care for you, if you trust Her.  Follow the Voice and He will deliver you, no matter where the path leads.

Lenten reading :Who do you trust?

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, O my soul!

I will praise the LORD as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God all my life long.

Do not put your trust in princes,  in mortals, in whom there is no help.

When their breath departs, they return to the earth; on that very day their plans perish. (Psalm 146:1-4)

Warning: hard truths and ugly words ahead.

There is a lot of noise on the internet with the recent abdication of Benedict XVI and the conclave of cardinals which will meet to choose a new pontiff.  Chalk up my cynicism to being generational, but I don't hold much hope for a group of like-minded senior executives to break with generations of tradition to possibly harm their position in an altruistic attempt to right a sinking ship.

Put far more bluntly by my father years ago, "Look, our generation knows that we've f****d this world up, most of us don't care and our only hope is to die before the bill comes due."  In my time on this planet, there isn't a single sector, public or private, secular or religious, which hasn't taken taken their turn at this, flagrantly and egregiously, and been caught at it. It appears that part of our mortal, human condition that when given authority and power is invested, especially in an institution, we screw it up.

So, who do you trust?  Not institutions, for certain.  What about people you know?  To a certain extent, as we have enough of a connection with them to know how far NOT to trust them.  And the Divine?  Every time, the Boss comes through.  She never stops loving, He never quits you.

Trust not in the Princes of the Church, Kings of countries or Captains of industry, for they are ALL mortal, ALL fallible.

Trust in God, for He is immortal, She is infallible.

You will know a tree by it's fruit

As some may know (or may have guessed), I use two separate lectionaries for my readings, both being linked on the left.  It may seem odd or redundant, but there are good reasons for this as today's readings highlight the differences in theology and outlook.

In the USCCB readings, you have a quote from Psalms 51.

Thus says the Lord GOD:
Cry out full-throated and unsparingly,
lift up your voice like a trumpet blast;
Tell my people their wickedness,
and the house of Jacob their sins.

Compare this to the PCUSA readings, which has Psalms 148.

 Praise the Lord!
     Praise the Lord from the heavens;
          praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels;
          praise him, all his host!
Praise him, sun and moon;
          praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
          and you waters above the heavens! 

The OT readings are the same way, with the USCCB passage from Isaiah going on about 'tell my people of their wickedness', vs. the PCUSA passage from Deuteronomy which talks about how God 'will love you, bless you, and multiply you' if you heed his ordinances.

You see what's going on here.  Which view of yourself is healthier?  Which idea of the Divine is more spiritually productive?  Which relationship with God fits more with your understanding of yourself and the Divine?

Reading of the Day

Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Did not my hand make all these things?' (Acts 7:48-50)

In his defense before the high priest, Stephen (in the book of Acts) quotes the prophet Isaiah (Is. 66:1).

When I was a boy, I attended a great (as in large) church with a huge sanctuary.  In it, we always spoke in hushed tones and a joke I make about that is that this is God's house and we need to be quiet because He is sleeping (being very old and all, you know).  Amusing as that may be, it highlights an error.  Oh, sure, God lives in that sanctuary, but She lives in my house, too.  And yours.  And in the fields and forests and ocean depths, too.

As I have wandered down this path, there have certainly been times when I have felt the presence of the Divine in the service, in the building of church.  Much more frequently, however, I have discerned the Divine in a basilica of beech trees and a cathedral of pines.   Like so much of this exploration journey I am on, things which I know to be true by my own experience are later revealed as having been commented on long ago.

"Believe me, you will find more lessons in the woods than in books. Trees and stones will teach you what you cannot learn from masters." - St. Bernard of Clairvaux

Today's Reading and an extra special message

Mother Church, Bride of Christ

So, reading today's daily office has an interesting quote from Ezekiel 16, wherein G-d outlines how He has raised and treated Israel with great love and deference, "'I also swore to you and entered into a covenant with you so that you became Mine,' declares the Lord GOD." (Ex16:4)  Then, He showers her with attention and great gifts, as a groom would a bride.

It is at this point, I get hammered by the cosmological clue-by-four.  The Roman church has called itself the Bride of Christ.  What is the bride's response to G-d?  What follows are His words and the message given to me to pass on.

Decked out in harlot finery

“But you trusted in your beauty and played the harlot because of your fame, and you poured out your harlotries on every passer-by who might be willing. You took some of your clothes, made for yourself high places of various colors and played the harlot on them, which should never come about nor happen.

The idol of gold and silver

You also took your beautiful jewels made of My gold and of My silver, which I had given you, and made for yourself male images that you might play the harlot with them.Then you took your embroidered cloth and covered them, and offered My oil and My incense before them. Also My bread which I gave you, fine flour, oil and honey with which I fed you, you would offer before them for a soothing aroma; so it happened,” declares the Lord GOD."

Moreover, you took your sons and daughters whom you had borne to Me and sacrificed them to idols to be devoured. Were your harlotries so small a matter? You slaughtered My children and offered them up to idols by causing them to pass through the fire." (Ez:16:15-21)

Only a few of the Children of God who have been sacrificed to the idol

The postscript to this is important and telling. G-d describes how this erstwhile bride is worse than Sodom, whom the Lord destroyed for their iniquity, and Samaria, whom the Lord laid low because of their wickedness. It ends as such:

"'You have borne the penalty of your lewdness and abominations,' the LORD declares. For thus says the Lord GOD, 'I will also do with you as you have done, you who have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.'" (Ez. 16:58-59)

A reply, a reading and a story

Synchronicity strikes.  I was going to reply in the comments to this post, then I read the gospel for today and saw that this is looking for it's own post.

How do people not see?
I would put it that many do not see the miracles which happen around them because they are too focused on watching their own feet to look up and around them. 


People are looking for 'magic', not miracles and miracles don't always work.
I agree with you about the "magic" thing, especially combined with the idea that the ways of the Divine (by whatever name you wish) are quite often different than what we would like and just because things don't manifest exactly as you would like, doesn't mean that something marvelous and miraculous isn't happening right in front of you.  Thus, I would say that miracles DO happen and they DO work, but if we're only looking for a specific manner of response to a specific input (i.e. - I want my prayer answered in X way in Y timescale), then you are correct.

Jesus answered them, "Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only will you do what has been done to the fig tree, but even if you say to this mountain, 'Be lifted up and thrown into the sea,' it will be done. Whatever you ask for in prayer with faith, you will receive"  (Mt. 21:21-22)

Note, Christ never said WHAT you will receive, nor in what timescale, nor how that would manifest itself.

This all reminds me of a story:

A flood threatens a town, forcing everyone to evacuate, But Joe thinks, "I'm a devout man, God will save me," and stays put. As the waters rise, Joe's neighbor comes by and says, "Joe come with me, we've got to go." Joe declines, "I'm a devout man, God will save me."

The waters keep rising, Joe scrambles to his second floor. A firefighter in a rowboat comes by. "Get in the boat or you'll drown," he says. Joe again declines, saying, "God will save me. So this flood story goes."

Finally, the flood waters force Joe to his roof. A police helicopter comes by and throws down a rope. "Climb up or you'll drown," the policeman yells. "No, I'm a devout man, God will save me," Joe replies.

Soon, Joe drowns.

He arrives in heaven and challenges God. "Why didn't you help me?"

"What do you mean?" God says. "I did help. I sent a neighbor, a firefighter and a helicopter."

It's about being open to the Divine, attentive to how the universe is manifesting itself and fluid enough in how we think and are willing to act that we can intera

Today's Reading

"Jesus said to his disciples:
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,'
will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Many will say to me on that day,

'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?  Did we not drive out demons in your name?
Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'

Then I will declare to them solemnly,
'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'"

It's not about how the displays of piety or following the rules of any church.  It's about doing the will of God.

Just sayin

flocks of sheeple

"I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." (Jn. 10:14-16)

The historical/critical reading of this passage is that Christ is speaking about the gentiles and that He is going to gather them along with the jews (aka, the Chosen People of God(tm) ) into a single group.

Reading this passage in the 21st century, it rings differently in my ears as represented in the above photo. 

In our day and age, the 'Chosen People of God(tm)' are those who call themselves Christians -  aging, heterosexual, entitled and insular folk who, at best, have a vague belief that they should help others (which is normally handled by writing a check to some organization and let them get their hands dirty) and rarely, if ever, actually see anything outside of themselves or their very tight-nit circle.

In the foreground, you have the 'other sheep', the homeless, the young, those who are gay.  They have nothing - no home, money, no job, no future, no societal support. They are the sheep who are lost.  Not lost in that they have strayed from God, but lost in that they are not in the fold...the 'Chosen People of God'.  The hired hands in their stoles and miters do not recognize them as part of the flock and drive them away.  They huddle in the darkness, shunned by the Levite and the Priest as they lay waiting for death.

Yet, these other sheep were created in the image and likeness of God, just like the 'CPoG'. To look into their faces is to see Christ, no less than it is to see Christ in a saint or priest. 

We are all equal in the eyes of our Father, for we are all children of God.

Listening to the Voice...

"Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." (Romans 12:2)


Recently, there has been a lot of talk and thought about what is church, what it should look like, what defines being 'catholic' and other such matters. I have pondered and thought and discussed and prayed at length over such things.  I finally quieted myself and then heard what had been said all the time.

"Those are external constructs, matters of mind made material and artificial divisions which come from society.

The form of the thing is not the thing.

The form is temporal and shall be transformed, it's essence inviolate and eternal."

I see this now.  I hear you, Dad.
Thank you.

reading of the day

I read current events about my brothers and sisters in the other catholic faiths and try not to comment overmuch.  That said, the onslaught of priests being silenced, nuns under 'reform', loyalty oaths and laity quietly bemoaning the status quo sits in interesting juxtaposition with today's reading.

"Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God." (John 12:42-43)

Recall that, in context, the 'rulers' are the jewish leaders (Sanhedrin, Rabbis and the ilk).

The first Eucharist was celebrated by a layman and shared with a dozen unbaptized sinners. 

The Body of Christ predates the prelates of Rome, Constantinople or Lambeth.

I am not saying that church (of whatever faith) isn't without value, but never forget who you work for.

Just sayin.

Today's Reading: Long Division

"Every kingdom divided against itself will be laid waste and house divided against itself will fall. And if Satan is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand?" (Luke 11:17-18)

No, I haven't been blogging recently and I have found it increasingly difficult to comment on other people's blogs.  Part of it is a cyclical issue dealing with personal matters, but a larger portion is this scripture verse.

Whether it is political discourse, religious ramblings or general societal scuttlebutt, I see time and again the lack of a willingness to embrace a unifying position. I could provide examples and point fingers, but the bottom line is a dearth of comity and a callous, unyielding nature which creates a gulf that separates us as human beings one from another.

If the Kingdom of G-d belongs to the people of G-d, how can it stand if we are divided?  Divided Muslims and Jews, catholics and protestants, clergy and laity, young and old, male and female.  Are not these divisions artifical constructs of our own making and, if so, do we not have the power to erase them?  It is not about a 'Right Way', but recognizing that your way is no less valid or 'right' than my own way, even if it is different.  It is about respecting the G-d in others, just as I should respect myself for She resides in me.

Be patient, kind, forgiving and loving, for that is what you would wish others to do for you.  If we do not, then we have separated ourselves from each other and from G-d.  I'm seeing that as a bad plan.

Today's Reading: Trust me

"Thus says the Lord: Cursed is the man who trusts in mankind, who seeks his strength in flesh, whose heart turns away from the Lord.... Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose hope is the Lord....More tortuous than all else is the human heart, beyond remedy; who can understand it?  I, the Lord, alone probe the mind and test the heart, To reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds."  (Jer. 17: 5-10)

[note: the ellipses are examples as to what such a person is like].

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." (Proverbs 3:5)

G-d knows our hearts and understands us better than we even understand ourselves.  We must trust in Her to fill our hearts with His love and to guide us. 

"Trust me," She says, "It'll be awesome!"

Today's Reading: Teamwork

What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God's servants, working together; you are God's field, God's building.  (1 Cor. 3:5-9)

Reading this passage, it reminds me of what is written later:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. 
There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 
There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. (1 Cor. 12:4-6)

This sits with me for two reasons.  The first is because of so many people expecting that a priest functions in very specific ways with rigidly defined roles.  But if we are to function best, we need to work with each other, leveraging our individual gifts, for the betterment of the team.  Thus, we each need to focus on what we do best, hone those skills and contribute what we can for the good of all.  It's that team thought which leads me to the second part.

Avoiding the 'body of Christ' analogy, I would go with that of a sport team.  Looking at american football as an example, each position on the team is of equal value and has a valid function.  There is nobody who is 'better' than another, just people fulfilling different roles as their skills and abilities direct them.  Further, individuals come and go, but the team endures.

Each of us in the broader church, from virtual preacher to parish sacristan to lay-person, are all part of the Team of God and each of us has a vital role to play in the health and well-being of the church.  Some are more high-profile than others but none are more or less important and we ALL need to be putting in our very best - not for our own glory, but for Hers.

A reading pointed out to me.

"Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:31-32)

From this verse, I would like to focus on one idea, one word - compassion.  Compassion is from the Old French, leading back to the medieval latin (com-pati, to bear together, to suffer together)  In the original greek, the word used in the verse is εὔσπλαγχνος.  Translated as tender-hearted or compassionate, it comes from εὔ -"good", σπλαγχνος - "visceral organs/guts".  A much more literal translation would be living with guts and I think that centers on what being compassionate is. 

It's gutsy.  

How much easier it is to ignore the sufferings of others, to judge them and to turn away from them.  The truth is that it is hard.  It is hard not to judge, to accept others for who and where they are.  It is much easier and safer to isolate yourself from the 'other', from society and from those who need help.  And that brings me to the second point about compassion.

Compassion is to 'bear with', not 'to fix'.  It isn't about 'making it all better' with some magic wand, but to acknowledge the person where they are, in their suffering, and walk with them through it.  In that way it is the essence of being Christ-like, for He did just this, meeting people where they are, being with them in both good times and bad and showing them the way back to G-d.


Love God, love your neighbor.  Live with guts.

Today's Reading: G-d says the darnedest things

The OT reading for today has a lot going on.  The ongoing conversation is addressing the nation of Israel's cries that the Lord is being unfair because He says salvation (or death) is an individual and not hereditary quality.

"Know that all lives are mine; the life of the parent as well as the life of the child is mine: it is only the person who sins that shall die." (Ez. 18:4)

Going even further, G-d tells Ezekiel that each person can condemn or save themselves by their own actions in life.

"When the righteous turn away from their righteousness and commit iniquity, they shall die for it; for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die. Again, when the wicked turn away from the wickedness they have committed and do what is lawful and right, they shall save their life. Because they considered and turned away from all the transgressions that they had committed, they shall surely live; they shall not die.Yet the house of Israel says, "The way of the Lord is unfair." O house of Israel, are my ways unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair? " (Ez.18:26-29)

Thus, the final disposition of a person's soul neither predetermined nor is it a matter of heredity.  Rather it is by the informed choice of an individual to turn to or away from G-d.

I guess Augustine and Calvin never read this part.

Today's Reading: an oldie but a goodie

Today's reading is a personal favourite from the OT.

"I call heaven and earth today to witness against you:
I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  Choose life, then, that you and your descendants may live, by loving the LORD, your God, heeding his voice, and holding fast to him.  For that will mean life for you, a long life for you to live on the land that the LORD swore he would give to your fathers Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."  (Deut. 30:19-20)

Free will presumes a free choice.  The only way of being able to choose to do right is being able to choose to do wrong.  More to the point, the choice of doing right only has value when we have the opportunity to do wrong and choose not to.  If we are unable to, for whatever external reasons, follow the dictates of conscience then any choice is a false one.  Put differently, if we are only 'permitted' to choose door #1, it doesn't matter how many other doors there are, let alone what is behind them. 

I will leave it to the reader to fathom the implications of this in the context of recent social arguments.