Reflections

Listen My People

As I perused the Gospel for the Fifth Sunday of Lent, I thought about the Greeks demanding of Philip, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus”.  Into my mind leapt words of an old charismatic hymn: “Open our eyes, Lord, we want to see Jesus, to reach out and touch him, to say that we love him.  Open our ears Lord and help us to listen.  Open our eyes Lord, we want to see God”.

Being watchful, paying attention, listening, pleading and seeing are words which form a golden thread running through the scriptures during the Lenten season. St. Luke 9:15 echoes God’s call, “This is my Son, the Beloved, listen to Him”. Psalm 95 laments, “O that today you would listen to the voice of the Lord; harden not your hearts”.  The readings of the first Sunday of Lent state God’s invitation, “Come back to me with all your heart”.  The Psalmist in psalm 26 pleads, “It is your face I seek, O God; hide not your face from me”.  Again in Psalm 51 we beg, “Grant to us O Lord, a heart renewed. Recreate in us your own Spirit, Lord”.

Let us continue along our Lenten path listening to the voice of God and praying for renewed and ever expanding hearts open to the urgings of the Spirit during our final sprint to the Paschal feast.  May the coming celebration of Easter with its joy and songs of resurrection reflect our desire to be recreated each day in God’s spirit of gentleness, peace and joy. Deep in our hearts may we hear God whisper, “Listen, my people, your prayers are answered; your prayers are answered”.

Jean Moylan, CSJ

 

 

Breathe deeply and let’s go!

March, the middle of Lent, half way to Easter. Most stores remind us that the Easter Bunny is coming, time to buy new clothes, prepare Easter baskets full of chocolate goodies, and maybe watch a movie like “The Ten Commandments”.

Wow, something is missing from this picture – the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ! He is the reason for the season!

Do we spend more time shopping for Easter goodies than we do in entering into the real preparation to celebrate Jesus’ Resurrection?

Society is a great tempest – only painting half of the picture; especially the exterior trimmings – all of which are good but should not overshadow the real meaning of Easter.  Being halfway through the Lenten Season, it is time to check in to ourselves spiritually.  How are we doing with our Lenten Resolutions – perhaps time to take a few deep breathes in and slowly exhale letting our good intentions give us new energy to embrace the second half of our Lenten journey. If you are like me, it is not so difficult getting to Holy Thursday, it is the piece in-between Holy Thursday and Easter morning that are most difficult.  However, this “piece” is the critical part if we want to experience the real celebration – “Jesus is Risen and walks among us.”

It is never too late to start again. WE may need to cut back on our original resolutions, but this will be better than throwing in the towel. Breathe deeply and let’s go! Meet you at the tomb!

Barbara Vaughan, csj

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So what is the Nature of Light?

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The spring equinox is upon us in North America this week. It is the day when we experience a balance of natural light hours and darkness. A welcome occasion for sure, one we have been anticipating as the hours of daylight have gradually lengthened.

So what is the nature of light? A Google search leads to 488 million choices to answer a question that has been pondered by scientists for centuries. Their discoveries have led to some very revealing facts. Light can’t be easily defined or studied but scientific advances lead us to a greater understanding of this mystery. We know for instance that light is not an either/or it’s a both/and - wave and particle.

Light provides us with the ability to see clearly, to find our way, to make discoveries. We know that most living things gravitate toward light for its warmth, clarity and transformative powers. Without light, for example, the power of photosynthesis would not be possible. How different would our world be without light?

In many spiritual texts light is used as a metaphor for goodness, even for the Divine. We read, in reference to Jesus, in the prologue of the Gospel of John: The lights shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it.

These thoughts of the mystery of light were with me recently as I sat near a window. The sun came out just then. I felt the warmth on my back and I felt reassured and joyful. Winter is finally lessening its cold hard grasp. I felt energized and moved to get active. A few days later I realized I had exactly the same response to seeing a good friend’s face coming towards me. I felt warmed, reassured and joyful. A smile broke out across my face as we shared an enthusiastic hug.

Transforming energies are available to us in the ordinariness of life. We can be light for one another. Awareness of the gift of the mystery of light in my life and openness to being moved to action are essential elements in being transformed. What or who brings light into my life?

In this time of the spring equinox reflect and consider . . .  What could I do or be so that there would be more light in our world.

Ann Baker, CSJ Associate
Jean Bowden, CSJ Associate

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Helping Others Reach Their Someday

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Recently, during yet another commercial break, my distracted thoughts were pulled back to attention by the words, “Helping others reach their someday”. I quickly scribbled the message down on a used envelope wanting somehow to retain their message. I made a mental note to myself, “This message deserves sharing”.

As I mused on these words I thought, “Might the commercial’s message hint at a modern application of the Lenten practice of almsgiving.” Almsgiving need not be restricted to monetary giving. Gifts may include time freely spent with others, words of appreciation, listening to someone else’s problems or dreams etc.

As Christians trekking through the days of our Lenten journey, we are invited to seek new hearts. This simple ad line aptly expresses the spirit of a giving heart.

During the season of Lent, I put forward this challenge to you - Discover what acts of encouragement  you might offer from a giving heart to bring another closer to reaching their hoped for someday.

Diana Ross, in her song, ‘Reach Out and Touch’, also expresses how we can help someone reach their someday. Enjoy a listen.

Nancy Wales CSJ

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Did you watch the Oscars last Sunday?

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Did you watch the Oscars last Sunday? What razzle and dazzle, the stage was radiant with sparkling light and the voices rang out in proclamation “And the award goes to”.  Well wait till you hear the Gospel proclamation for Sunday the Second Week of Lent – here is a description of another amazing experience of dazzlingly light and a voice proclaiming “This is my Beloved; listen to him”.  Just before this extraordinary experience, Jesus and three of his good friends had trekked up a high mountain peak: made a huge effort to arrive at this sacred space where no one knew what would occur, what the results would be. But then a flash of dazzlingly light and words of intimate conviction! An extraordinary revelation! A vision that clarified and claimed Jesus as the beloved of God. 

The Oscars may honour the extreme effort and talent of cast and crew, writer and artistic designer, composer and special effects. But the Gospel passage invites us into contemplating what this transforming scene might mean for each of us faith filled pilgrims in our daily life, far from the hype of TV cameras.

Circumstances like this are rare for most of us. I am not quite sure how I would react. But we are told in other gospel renderings that the three on-lookers were so engaged that they wanted to stay – to sustain this mysterious joy? In spite of their response Jesus urged them to move on and not to say a word about what was revealed.

And yet our world needs to know that such amazing love is beckoning us. At a time when the earth and its people are in much need of healing, is not this tale important to tell?

The passage tells us that the four returned to the ordinary ways of life, eating and drinking at table with the sick, the fragile, the broken, the lost. Perhaps the invitation “Listen to him!” became a mantra for his friends, as Jesus welcomed the stranger, spoke words of comfort to those in sorrow, prayed for the release of disturbing illnesses of the mind.

Jay Cormier in reflecting on this passage suggests that: “The challenge of discipleship is to allow the love of God within us to “transfigure” despair into hope, sadness into joy, anguish into healing, estrangement into community.” Can we find that depth of amazing love, as gift within ourselves, and become the vessels for God to “transfigure” terror into beauty?

Loretta Manzara CSJ

Jay Cormier quotation from “Daily Reflections for Lent, Not by Bread Alone, 2010”, Liturgical Press, Collegeville, MN, page 29. Liturgical Press grants gratis permission for one-time use.