If you love, then DO

Commentary on John 21:15-19, the Gospel for Friday of the 7^th Week of Easter (Year II):

I remember the time when I read this passage and it struck my emotions and I was given the gift of tears. (Well, actually, the damn broke!) To think of it. Peter had denied Jesus, had sinned horribly and in a way which humiliated him, as our sins so often do.

Jesus spoke not a word of reproach. I am reminded of the father’s actions in the parable of the prodigal son, who also spoke no reproach but rather embraced his son and dressed him in fine clothes and proclaimed a feast to celebrate his return.

Not a word of reproach to the miserable sinner. Just this: Do you love me?

I, a poor miserable sinner, stand before the Lord and confess my sins and He replies, Do you love me? And He askes this question knowing full well that yes, I do love Him, even when I go against His wishes and depart from His way and violate His commandments. Even when I do things that hurt others, or am insensitive to others’ needs or neglect to provide something that is needed, something that I easily could have given. Even with all of this, I know that I do indeed love Him. I have failed Him but I love Him.

That must certainly make sense to any parent with wayward children. That is also true when our friends might let us down. They still love us, but their love-capacity was on overload, or even turned off for a time.

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Do you love me?

Three times the same question to Peter, and each positive answer from him wipes away his three horrible sins. He got the point clearly and was saddened by the third question because he understood why it was asked three times. He was convicted not by a judge, but by the love of the divine Lover.

Do you love him?

Jesus reply was very simple: Go and do something about it. Realize that every single person in the world is part of Jesus’ flock. Every nationality, every race, every circumstance. Do something for them, however that may be possible in your own personal world. Show your love by what you do.

Even the most simple of gestures. Remember that Jesus taught that if we give so much as a cup of water to someone who needs it, we have gained our reward in heaven. So don’t wait for some fantastic opportunity to make a grand gesture. Look for the simple things. Pray to become more attentive, because if you are like me, there are a thousand little needs that I pass by without even giving them a thought.

Lord, what shall I do?

He will answer this question for you just as he did for Peter. It may be something small and seemingly insignificant. It may be your very life? Just be attentive and all shall be well.

God bless you.

The wisdom of Bishop Desmond Tutu

I decided to read a bit of Desmond Tutu’s writings and found several websites that offer quotes from his work. You can do the same by searching for him on the Internet.

Today I offer you excerpts from his works that deal with the mystery of human weakness and failure, both subject that we have spoken about in earlier posts. Ponder these things, particularly in light of the fact that Jesus is risen and is with us to give new life to our souls, spirits and bodies.

“We may be surprised at the people we find in heaven. God has a soft spot for sinners. His standards are quite low.” 

“In the end what matters is not how good we are but how good God is. Not how much we love Him but how much He loves us. And God loves us whoever we are, whatever we’ve done or failed to do, whatever we believe or can’t.” 

“Dear Child of God, I write these words because we all experience sadness, we all come at times to despair, and we all lose hope that the suffering in our lives and in the world will ever end. I want to share with you my faith and my understanding that this suffering can be transformed and redeemed. There is no such thing as a totally hopeless case. Our God is an expert at dealing with chaos, with brokenness, with all the worst that we can imagine. God created order out of disorder, cosmos out of chaos, and God can do so always, can do so now--in our personal lives and in our lives as nations, globally. ... Indeed, God is transforming the world now--through us--because God loves us.” 

“It is through weakness and vulnerability that most of us learn empathy and compassion and discover our soul.” 

“Do your little bit of good where you are; it's those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.”

If you would like to explore more on your own, go to http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/5943.Desmond_Tutu

God bless you.

Resurrection trumps evil.

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Bishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa wrote an Easter text which provides us with fruit for reflection. As you read the text, consider how it might come to life in your life by the way you think about things, especially during times of conflict and difficulty. See if your heart can open to the hope which the text offers. Here it is:

Goodness is stronger than evil;

Love is stronger than hate;

Light is stronger than darkness;

Life is stronger than death.

Victory is ours, through him who loved us.

Sometimes it seems like evil, hatred, darkness and death are getting the upper hand in our world and in our lives. But they are mere shadows when seen from the perspective offered by the Resurrection of our Lord. Shadows have no real substance; shadows are temporary; they are illusory like wisps and ghosts in the face of true life. Just consider the Crucifixion and death of Jesus: at the time He was hanging on the cross, it looked like evil had won the battle over goodness and life.

But those victories were illusions. Even during this time when there is much hatred and violence and turmoil in our world, what we witness in horror is not the final word in the evolution of the world. In the face of all that is happening, our task is to continue to life a Resurrection life:

Live and practice goodness.

Live and practice love.

Choose to live in light and to spread that light where you can.

Choose life in all of its aspects.

Consider, if you will, how it may be possible, in God’s grace, for you and me to apply and give witness to goodness, love, light and life. For each of us, the answer will be different. It might be helpful if you can think of people in your life who demonstrate each of these qualities. That would be a good start. From there, go on to claim the victory!

God bless you with goodness, love, light and life.

Moving out of your comfort zone

Comments on the first verse of the hymn I posted yesterday (found at the end of this reflection):

Here’s the text of the first verse:

From shallow waters call us, Lord, from safety near the shore,

And bid us launch upon the depths where faith is tested more.

Let not past failures hope destroy nor caution paralyze,

But help us follow where you lead and wait for Love’s surprise.

Line 1: We have a natural tendency to stay within our “comfort zones,” those places where we find what is familiar and known to us, those routines and relationships that make up a regular part of our lives. And some of us get to remain there for a good chunk of time. But that is not always the way things stay when we open ourselves to the Lord’s action and grace in our lives. Just look at the story of the call of Simon (Peter) and James and John (Luke 5:1-11), and how their encounter with the Lord changed their entire lives. The Gospel reports it so simply: They left everything and followed him. The Scriptures are well populated with people who have had some sort of God-initiated life-changing encounters. Consider Abraham, Moses, Isaiah, David, all the apostles, the woman at the well and also people whose lives were changed because of a deep moment of forgiveness (the woman caught in adultery), or an experience of healing.

   Notice also that this line actually ASKS the Lord to initiate such a process in our own lives. As they say, be careful of what you ask for.

Line 2: Have you had such a life-changing event in your life? If you look carefully, you might discover just how much your life has been changed by some sort of event, or call, or yearning, or creative dream, or perhaps even the inspiration and strength to break free from a particular habit or condition of sin. And what happens when you make this move is that your faith, indeed, is tested, and as a result of that, your faith grows deeper as you discover that this change you are making is not something you are doing on your own, but that God is with you every step of the way.

Line 3: Our internal critic (or is it from the devil) tries to keep us back. “You’re not good enough,” it says, or “After all your sins, how could you possibly thing that God would want you for something like that,” or any other sort of distraction or detraction designed to prevent you from making the move or the change. Many attempts at creativity are often discouraged by critics around us. I like this quote to answer that situation: “Those who say it cannot be done shouldn’t interrupt the people doing it.” God is telling us: “Don’t play it safe. Don’t let your past sins discourage you. I have forgiven you and I want you to come with me to something I have prepared for you.”

Line 4: The most important word in this line is “surprise.” If you heed the call, whatever it may be, you will be surprised at what will happen. Guarantee. And note also, that the surprise comes from love. You are being called; you are being helped; your faith is growing stronger; and you will be surprised by the God-who-is-love who cares for you and who will send you everything you need as you continue on your journey.

God bless you.

The hymn:

From shallow waters call us, Lord, from safety near the shore,

And bid us launch upon the depths where faith is tested more.

Let not past failures hope destroy nor caution paralyze,

But help us follow where you lead and wait for Love’s surprise.

We cannot fish the ocean’s depths with nets shrunk small by fear.

We need the gift of greater faith when we your summons hear.

And, if we plead unworthiness from what your call demands,

Then may we trust you’ll cleanse and calm our soiled, unsteady hands.

We dare to launch on unknown seas and cast our nets abroad,

For you have bid us grasp by faith the promises of God.

O Christ, you crossed the same wide seas you send us now to sail;

Be present when we reach the depths with strength that does not fail!

For neither fear nor scorn nor death could turn you back to land.

You knew no storms could carry you beyond your Father’s hand.

Your cross seemed but a fragile craft upon an angry sea,

Till Easter dawn brought light and peace through Love that sets us free!

Herman G. Stuempfle, Jr. 1973-2007. © 2006, GIA Publications, Inc.

All rights reserved. Used with permission.

For permission for congregational copies or digital projection,

call onelicense.net at 1-800-663-1501

A "Love Prayer"

Yesterday we considered the “love passage” from 1 Corinthians 13 which was read at Sunday Mass. I’d like to revisit that passage again and make it into a prayer which might be used by anyone seeking growth and gradual evolution towards becoming a truly loving person. For what it is worth, here goes:

                Lord God, grant me the grace to become more patient, kinder, less jealous but able to rejoice in the good things that others have. Help me to be humble: less pompous, less inflated. Forgive and correct my rudeness by making me more sensitive to others’ feelings. Help me to put others’ needs before me own and to curb my selfishness in all things. Give me a calm and accepting spirit, not prone to fits of temper.

I have been hurt many times, and carry resentments in my heart: heal these and help me to let go of what has happened, to forgive where necessary and to take my attention away from the past and into the present moment. Make me sensitive to the wrongdoing around me and give me the desire to pray for those who are lost in a web of sin. Help me to rejoice always with what is true, especially when it challenges me to change my way of thinking or acting. Help me to bear whatever may develop in my life, strengthen my faith, and my hope, and help me to bear nobly the crosses that are part of my life. I ask these things in Jesus’ name. Amen.

We are not love, but we can evolve

A close reading of the “love chapter” in 1 Corinthians 13 reveals to us our own personal inadequacy. And that’s a good thing, even if it makes us squirm a bit. Whenever or wherever we become aware of our own shortcomings we are receiving an invitation to let the grace and mercy of God enter into our lives in a new way. For this reason, it’s good to use the passage as an examination of conscience.

Love is patient. Love is kind. It is not jealous, it is not pompous, it is not inflated, it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury, it does not rejoice over wrongdoing but rejoices with the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

The passage can also be a guide for right conduct, especially at times when we are tempted to act in a way that is not loving, and also during times of tension, stress or conflict. Look to the passage. Pray, “Lord God, You are Love. Lord Jesus Christ, You are Love incarnate.” Lord, I am not always a vessel filled with love. I fall short. I forget what You have taught me. I have a tendency to be not-Love in my thoughts, words and actions. Help me, Lord. Have mercy on me. Help me to live Your word in all aspects of my life. Lord, You are Love; I am not. Please grant me your grace, that I may grow towards what is lacking in me. Lord, help me to love. Amen.”

In His great love and mercy, the Lord uses many means to shed light upon areas of our lives that need forgiveness, healing, and guidance. One of these means is the Scriptures. Seek out the passages that challenge you; don’t run from them or put them aside. Let them convict you, and then let them show you a new way of being. But most especially, in all times and at all instances, know that God’s patience is greater than what we can imagine. Love is patient. May that love be with you now and always.

Love to the loveless shown

There will be no reflection tomorrow. The next reflection will be on Thursday January 21

The last of the 12 signs of a spiritual awakening is that we gain the ability to love with expecting anything in return. (The list of 12 signs is at the end of this reflection).

Here’s a favorite line from the hymn “My Song is Love Unknown:”

 Love to the loveless shown that they might lovely be.

God’s love for you and for me is so great that at the lowest point in our lives, at the moment when we have found ourselves to be the most despicable, in a time of bitter and tragic failure when weakness and sin had all but annihilated us or when we have done inestimable harm to others—at precisely that moment, the God Who is Love, through his suffering and death, reached down to us from the cross and lifted us up with Himself out of the mire. And that began a beautiful journey, and good things began happening in our lives, and our attention was turned from our former misery to a promise of a brighter future. And God continued to work in our lives, despite times when we wanted to turn back or tried to resist what was taking place within us. And God continues to work in the lives of even those who do not know him or who think he doesn’t exist.

That is the God who is love. And we are created in the image and likeness of that God. And we too get to show love—in less spectacular ways, to be sure—to others who may not know much love in their lives, or to others who do not feel especially “lovely” at any moment in their lives.

And you are already doing that. If you weren’t, you wouldn’t have been reading these reflections, because they wouldn’t have interested you.

You, who were made lovely by the love of God for you when you were loveless, have opportunities to love others—sometimes from a distance, sometimes in small, barely noticeable acts of charity “behind the scenes.” And when you do things like this that have no mixed motive attached to them, you find that you are doing them simply for the joy of being loving and charitable, and, in fact, the more anonymous your gift of love is, the more sheer joy you take from the experience.

You already know this. And so keep up the good work. Take the love you have been given and be love for others. Because, in your awakening, you discover a sublime joy, and you want that joy to be more and more a part of your life.

Be loved as you are. Be loving as you can be. And God bless you.

12 Signs that you are undergoing a spiritual awakening

1. An increased tendency to let things happen rather than to make things happen.

2. Frequent attacks of smiling.

3. Feelings of being connected with others and nature.

4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

5. A tendency to think and act spontaneously rather than from fears based on past experiences.

6. An unmistakable ability to enjoy each moment.

7. A loss of ability to worry.

8. A loss of interest in conflict.

9. A loss of interest in interpreting the actions of others.

10. A loss of interest in judging others.

11. A loss of interest in judging self.

12. Gaining the ability to love without expecting anything in return.

The effects of gratitude

We continue our discussion of “Signs you are having a spiritual awakening” that I posted on January 3. Today we look at # 2 and # 4 because I believe they are closely related. Here they are:

·         2. Frequent attacks of smiling.

·         4. Frequent overwhelming episodes of appreciation.

When we receive a gift we usually smile. When we get a nice note in the mail from someone who cares for us, we usually smile. When we walk down the street and encounter a dear old friend, we break into a smile. We deeply appreciate these types of things, and they make us smile.

What would happen if we became aware at each and every moment of each and every day that we are being given a precious gift, or a word of love from someone who cares, or when we are surprised by the sight of someone who  is precious to us?

And yet, that is what is continually happening to us, although so often we are unaware of it.

This morning I was walking down a corridor in the monastery. I’ve walked down this corridor thousands of times over the past thirty-three years, but today, for some reason, I noticed the corridor in a special way. I took delight in the light that was shining in through the windows, I noticed the brick-work and gave thanks for how secure I feel, and I reflected on how grateful I am that the Lord has led me to this place and allowed me to make my life here. Needless to say, by the time I got to the end of the corridor, I was smiling.

Pray that the Lord will help you to deepen your sense of profound appreciation, that he will help you notice just how gifted you are at every instance, and that he will fill your heart of the joy of discovered love and caring. He will do this, and you will smile frequently.

Just remember to do as Thich Nhat Hanh advises his readers: Breathe and smile.

God bless you.

God is not just.

There will be no reflection on Saturday.

I’ve been reading a treatise by Isaac of Nineveh (a 7^th century Syrian monk), who taught that God is not just. Follow his line of reasoning, if you will:

Just is simply not enough. If God were just, then most of us would be doomed because of our sins and failings. No. God is more than just. God is love, and his live overcomes any demands that justice might make, particularly when it comes to our salvation and redemption.

Isaac points to two examples in the Gospels of God’s love triumphing over justice:

·         The keeper of the vineyard who pays the last group of workers an entire day’s wage even though they had not earned it.

·         The parable of the prodigal son, who doesn’t get what he deserved, but was treated with prodigal love and compassion. (Some have suggested that a better name for this parable would be “the prodigal father.”

By looking at our own lives, perhaps, we can see Isaac’s point:

·         Can you recall a time in your life when you have been given a far greater blessing than you thought you deserved?

·         Can you recall a time in your life when your sins were cast aside and overlooked while, again, you have been blessed beyond anything you could have expected?

God is not merely just. He is so much more than that. Thank God.