Spiritual Kindling

Staying afloat in a sea of troubles

Bible verse:
Peter got out of the boat and began to walk on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw how strong the wind was he became frightened; and, beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” (Matthew 14: 22-36)

Inspiration:
Rash, impetuous Peter would find many a kindred spirit in today's hyperactive world where the preferred approach to problem solving seems to be the quick fix or "trial-and-error."

Influenced by advertising, an abundance of choices and easy credit, we might assume that, if our first choice doesn't pan out, we can always try or buy something else.

Trial-and-error is simply an attempt to find a quick solution – any solution, not all the solutions, and not necessarily the best solution. Good enough is good enough. Or is it?

Trial and error is a reasonable approach when the stakes are low and errors can be easily redeemed. But, when the stakes are high and errors are costly – when we're about to make a major purchase – we better know that we're right before we jump out of the boat.

Peter may have been impulsive, but he was also a man of faith. When he made a mistake and began to sink, he cried out, "Lord, save me." Jesus immediately reached out to him. Notice, Jesus was the one who reached out, not Peter – he was too busy trying to keep his head above water.

When we are awash in problems, the natural tendency is to thrash about and try to save ourselves. Many a person has drowned in debt or other problems as a result of acting rashly like Peter did. If they simply took a deep breath, relaxed and looked up, their natural buoyancy would have kept them afloat. The key is looking up.

No matter what the problem might be, Jesus is ready to reach out to us as soon as we call on His name.

See also related reflection: "Jesus Walks On Water"

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Gimme, gimme, gimme

Bible verse:
Then he said to the crowd, “Take care to guard against all greed, for though one may be rich, one’s life does not consist of possessions.” (Luke 12: 13-21)

Inspiration:
In the 1987 film, Wall Street, Michael Douglas won an Academy Award for his role as Gordon Gekko, the very personification of greed. In a speech to the stockholders of a corporation he was about to take over, Gekko delivered a riveting speech in which he declared:

"Greed, for lack of a better word, is good. Greed is right; greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms, greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge  has marked the upward surge of mankind and greed, you mark my words – will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA."

The inspiration for Gekko's speech was the 1986 commencement address delivered by Wall Street money maven Ivan Boesky at the UC Berkeley's School of Business Adminsitration. Boesky told the assembly that, "Greed is all right, by the way. I want you to know that. I think greed is healthy. You can be greedy and still feel good about yourself." Not long afterward, Boesky was sent to prison for insider trading.

In today's Gospel, Jesus refuses to be drawn into a sibling rivalry in which one brother demands that the other brother give him his share of his inheritance. The custom at that time was for the heirs to share the inherited land and work it together rather than divide it up. Jesus saw the man's request as a sign of greed.

The Bible warns us about greed 25 times and reminds us that our lives do not consist of the abundance of our possessions. Yet we live in a society that encourages conspicuous, profligate consumption, a country in which chidlren learn at an early age that too much is never enough and where adults say, "Super size me."

When we approach the altar to receive communion, we extend an empty hand to receive the host. That outward gesture symbolizes the way we must let go of the things of this world and break the grip of greed in order to take Jesus into our lives.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Servant leaders

Bible verse:
The king was distressed, but because of his oaths and the guests who were present, he ordered that it be given, and he had John beheaded in the prison. (Matthew 14: 1-12)

Inspiration:
Lord Acton, a British historian, once observed that a person's conscience weakens as his or her power strengthens. Or, as he put it, "Power tends to corrupt; absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men."

Herod Antipas is a classic example of what Lord Acton meant. At the outset of his reign, he demonstrated great skills as a leader by restoring the cities of Sepphoris in Galiliee and Livia in Perea. His greatest accomplishment was the construction of his capital city, Tiberias, on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. But the power went to his head. He thought he could do whatever he wanted. He divorced his wife and married Herodias, the wife of his half-brother, thus earning the condemnation of John the Baptist.

Herod must have been drunk with power when he told Salome she could have anything she wanted. When she asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter, rather than lose stature in the eyes of his guests, Herod exercised his power. He ordered it done.

Such a colossal abuse of power serves to remind us of the temptations we all face when we are in positions of authority. Whether in our household, neighborhood, church or workplace, we have the power to influence the lives of others for better or worse.

Psychological studies have shown that, when people sense they are in positions of power, they have more difficulty considering other points of view; become less empathetic; more uninhibited, impulsive and daring. To guard against those tendencies, we have to be ever mindful of the admonition that Jesus gave to His disciples:

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones make their authority over them felt. But it is not to be so among you. Rather, whoever wishes to be great among you will be your servant; whoever wishes to be first among you will be the slave of all. (Mark 10: 42-45)

Some corporations have adapted the idea of servant leadership by instituting 360 degree personnel reviews in which everyone (including the president) gets confidential feedback on their performance from subordinates, peers and managers. It has the salutary effect of making everyone aware of how dependent we are on each other.

Jesus called us to be servant leaders. People like Mother Teresa, Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela stand in sharp contrast to the likes of Herod Antipas because they used their power and influence to improve the lives of others. They did so by living as equals with those they served. They labored with them; suffered with them; prayed with them. And, in so doing, they gave us a powerful example of what it means to be a servant leader.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Honoring Jesus in our homes

Bible verse:
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his native place and in his own house.” (Matthew 13: 54-58)

Inspiration:
Does Jesus have a place of honor in your home? If a stranger came calling, would he or she be able to tell from the way your home is decorated that you are a Christian? Is there a crucifix or a framed picture of Jesus prominently displayed on the wall? Is there a Bible in plain sight?

My wife and I have been asking ourselves those same questions as we remodel our home, empty our closets, unclutter our lives. During this summer-long home improvement project, we've been watching cable TV shows like "Designers Challenge," "Designed to Sell," and "Design on a Dime." There is even a show called "Divine Design."

I'm struck by the fact that the featured homes seldom have a place of honor for Jesus. It's as if the welcome mat has been pulled out from under Him.

Yet our homes are meant to be a sanctuary, a place of refuge where we retreat from the cares of the world to find peace, harmony and comfort. In order to nurture the spirit, we need to be reminded that the home is a haven, a sacred space for soul work.

Still, there is something to be said for the way those designers transform a home. They begin by removing all the clutter, the unimportant geegaws and nicknacks, the dust collectors and doodads that distract from a home's harmony. (One thing you never see in a designer-decorated home is a nagging wall clock.) Next, they rearrange the existing furniture so the rooms look more inviting and cozy. They paint the rooms in warm, serene colors that make you feel like the walls are hugging you. Then, they install soft lighting to put you in the mood to read, listen to music, journal and reflect. When the makeover is complete, you can almost smell the scent of aromatic candles, hear the crackle of the wood burning fireplace. All that's missing is a Bible.

It seems to me that it should be possible to adapt some of the decorator's ideas in creating an honored space for Jesus in our homes.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Praying as Jesus prayed

Bible verse:
“And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." (Luke 11: 1-13)

Inspiration:
Jesus often went off by Himself to deserted places or mountaintops to spend spend hours in prayer. The Gospels mention eight specific instances when He prayed. Something about the way He prayed prompted His disciples to ask, "Lord, teach us to pray..." In response, Jesus taught them to say the Our Father.

The Gospels of Luke and Matthew recount slightly different versions of the Our Father with Matthew's version being longer. What these differences suggest is that Jesus did not use a formulaic, rote approach to prayer but, rather, He prayed from the heart.

The structure of both versions of the Our Father is simple and direct. It puts God first and our needs second. At the outset, God is referred to as Father, or Abba, a term of endearment used in Jewish prayer to indicate an intimate, loving, nurturing relationship between us and God. Then it praises God, acknowledges His sovereignty over all creation and looks forward to the Messianic era. Having glorified God, the prayer petitions His help in three ways. First it asks for our daily bread; next it asks for forgiveness; and then it asks to be spared further temptations.

Both versions bear some similarity to the Jewish prayer, Kaddish, which was recited by preachers as they dismissed the worshipers with an allusion to the Messianic era. At funerals, the kaddish was recited to redeem the dead from the torments of Gehenna. The Kaddish was so routinely prayed that Jesus' disciples would have noticed the similarity to the Our Father. So it wasn't so much what Jesus prayed but how He prayed that impressed Luke and Matthew. Jesus prayed from the depths of His heart that His will and the Father's might be one.

In expanding on His teaching about prayer, Jesus said,"ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Thus, our most important prayer of petition is to know and follow the will of God just as Jesus did.

See also related reflections: "The Lord's Prayer"
                                            "The Our Father"
 

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. 

When problems crop up

Bible verse:
The slaves of the householder came to him and said, "Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? Where have the weeds come from?" (Matthew 13: 24-30) 

Inspiration:
First thing this morning I took our dog, "Daisy" on our daily ritual walk around the yard and the shoreline of our lake. It was a truly spectacular sunrise that cast a blush of pink and gray across the mirror-like surface of the water. While "Daisy" heeded nature's call I got a chance to do some weeding. I happen to agree with the owner of our local lawn and garden shop who says that a weed is anything growing where you want something else to grow. It's all in the eye of the beholder.

For example, dandelions don't stand a chance in most yards, but they were originally brought to this hemisphere from Asia where they were used as a food and medicine (especially for liver problems). In fact, they are richer in vitamins and minerals than most plants and the Latin name for dandelion is taraxacum oficinale, meaning official remedy for disorders.

Hal Borland, the outdoor writer for the New York Times, once said:

"You fight dandelions all weekend, and late Monday afternoon there they are, pert as all get out, in full and gorgeous bloom, pretty as can be, thriving as only dandelions can in the face of adversiity."

The dandelion doesn't know it's a weed. It just keeps sending its root deeper into the soil, thrusting its head higher into the air, growing and blooming and thriving in whatever sunlight and rain fall its way. Its only sin is that it does not grow in nice neat rows.

Many of the problems that crop up in our lives are actually flowers disguised as weeds.

In today's parable, the wheat and the weeds have been sown together so that it is impossible to uproot one without uprooting the other. The Master chooses to be patient and wait until each plant reveals its true nature.  It's only when we reflect on them and pray about our problems that we may come to see the value in what they have to teach us about ourselves.

In our spiritual garden, some weeds have shallow roots that can be plucked out with ease; others have long tap roots that penetrate deep into the soil; if we don't get the entire root, they soon grow back stronger than ever. The tenacious weeds require us to deepen our prayer life and tap into the power of the sacraments.   

See also related reflection: "Weeds Among The Wheat"

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

"Can you hear me now?"

Bible verse:
"... blessed are your eyes, because they see, and your ears, because they hear." (Matthew 13: 10-17)

Inspiration:
We've all seen those Verizon TV commercials in which a glob-trotting actor is shown in one remote location after another, each time asking the same question: "Can you hear me now?" And, of course, the unfailing answer is, "Yes;" to which he replies, "Good."

We're the hyper-connected generation. Wherever you go these days you're apt to see people talking on their cell phones or into their Blue Tooth ear pieces. Each cell phone has a distinctive ring and some are programmed so that each caller has a distinctive ring so you know instantly who is trying to reach you.

But all that technology is in vain, if you simply turn off your cell phone and refuse to listen.

In today's Gospel, we're called to be active listeners. Jesus reminds us that, "many prophets and righteous people longed to ... hear what you hear but did not hear it.” 

Amid all the clamor and clangor of contemporary society, it's easy to lose our up-link, drop a call, let our battery run down or forget to turn our cell phone on. There's so much static and interference that it's easy to miss what Jesus is trying to tell us.

For active listening to occur, several conditions must be met. The first and most obvious is that we must be in a position to listen. Just as there is a time and place to turn on your cell phone, there is a time and place for quiet reflection. Each of us must decide what that time and place is for us and not allow any interference with it. Second, we have to keep our spiritual battery charged. Just as we plug our cell phones into the charger each night, we have to pray daily that we might be open to what God wants us to do. Third, we have to recognize Jesus' distinctive call. Amid all the calls we receive each day, His has the most distinctive ring. It's the call to selfless service.

In the Verizon TV commercials, we never actually hear the voice on the other end of the line, but we know that the up-link was successful because the actor pauses, smiles and says, "Good." That's the same response Jesus expects when the call to service goes out to us.

See also related reflection: "Hearing God's Voice"

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.   

Getting our priorities straight

Bible verse:
The Lord said to her in reply, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and worried about many things. There is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part and it will not be taken from her.” (Luke 10: 38-42)

Inspiration:
Reading today's Gospel passage about Martha and Mary, I'm reminded of all the cable television divas of domesticity who seem to have endless hours of free time in which to prove 'nothin' says lovin' like something from the oven.' In our hectic household, the priorities are different. I can't remember the last time we had tea sandwiches, canapes and terrines. At the end of a busy day, I feel rolled, skewered and spread too thin to polish the silverware and blowup the party balloons. Chances are, you feel the same way most of the time. We all live incredibly busy lives, which is why today's Gospel is so instructive.

Martha had her priorities wrong. After inviting Jesus into her life, she ignored Him while attending to her busy household. Her sister, Mary, on the other hand, focused on her relationship with Jesus and did not allow herself to be distracted by busy work. In responding to Martha's complaint, Jesus reminds us that our number one priority in life is our relationship with God. Everything else is busy work. In order to keep things in proper perspective, we have to spend time with the Lord each day. We enter into relationship with Jesus, the Living Word of God, every time we open the Bible and reflect on the scriptures for that day. The Good Book holds the recipe for spiritual success.

See also related reflection: "Making Time For Prayer"

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

The Sabbath

Bible verse:
"For the Son of Man is Lord of the sabbath." (Matthew 12: 1-8)

Inspiration:
The Book of Genesis makes clear that when God set aside the seventh day of the week as a day of rest it was as a blessing. Ask anyone who works rotating shifts, extended work shifts or the night shift, and they'll tell you what a blessing rest can be. As a group, they are more accident prone, tired, sicker, more irritable, impatient and depressed. Our biological clocks are programmed to work at peak efficiency during the day and attempts to reverse this pattern are counter productive.

To some degree, these health problems are also present among the 9-to-5 work force because today's employees are yoked to their jobs by the cellphone, Blackberry, voice mail, call waiting and Instant Messaging. In this 24/7 business world, overtime is expected by management and workaholism is viewed as a badge of honor. Working on Sunday is commonplace.

I wrote a book some years ago on workaholism. Most of the copies were bought by wives to give to their husbands. Men didn't buy the book for themselves because they didn't see their obsessive, compulsive behavior as a problem. They saw it as proof of their ambition and a way to get ahead.

Last year, Pope Benedict XVI warned about the dangers of excessive work and misplaced priorities when he said, "Numerous occupations often lead to 'hardness of heart.' They are no more than suffering for the spirit, loss of intelligence and dispersion of grace." Having said that, the Pope went on vacation. As the leader of the world's one billion Catholics, the Pope has the kind of job that would tax anyone, much less an 80-year old man. But he does not allow his work to become all-consuming. He keeps his priorities straight through daily prayer and reflection.

Jesus is not just the Lord of the Sabbath; He is the Lord of every day of the week. We need daily prayer to keep our priorities straight. We need the Sabbath as a day of holy leisure. I'm going to quit working on this reflection and go outside to enjoy this wonderful sunny day that the Lord has made.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Holy lesiure

Bible verse:
Jesus said: "Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11: 28-30)

Inspiration:
Millions of Americans feel overworked and overwhelmed. In the typical household, both parents work and the average work week is longer now than it was in the 1950s, when the so-called leisure era began. Add to that the hours spent commuting to and from work and there is little time left for leisure activities. One study showed the average two-income couple spends just 12 minutes a day talking to each other.

Over the course of a year, Americans work nearly nine full weeks longer than our peers in Western Europe. Typically, we get two weeks of paid vacation versus the five to six weeks enjoyed each year by our European counterparts. Many of us get no paid vacation at all.

All that hard work has made us the most productive nation on earth. But the gains have come at a very steep price. In many households, gathering around the family dinner table to share a home-cooked meal, stimulating conversation and hearty laughter has become a quaint, out-dated custom.  Taking a vacation to recharge our batteries is virtually impossible in the 24/7 hyper-connected world of the Internet, cell phones, e-mail and Blackberries. We're so busy that the kids' weekend sports activities are now scheduled at the same time as Sunday Mass.

Yet, the Bible tells us that we need leisure time to achieve proper balance in our lives. God Himself rested on the seventh day and commanded us to set aside the Sabbath for holy leisure. He did so for our benefit. Long, leisurely Sunday afternoons surrounded by family and friends and time spent in church reflecting on the goodness of the Lord, are of great value precisely because they are so counter-cultural. They are opportunities to step off the treadmill and make sure all our hard work is in keeping with God's plan for our life.

The practice of holy leisure – Otium Sanctum – is a spiritual discipline in which we relax our grip on the things of this world in order to free ourselves from the galling yoke of materialism. It is not merely our bodies that need rest. Our souls do, too.

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.