Thursday, March 23, 2023

 

Eviction and Renewal

Sunday Gospel Reflection 3.26.23

John 11: 1-45

 

O’ Lord, You are the Divine Physician and the magnificent bestower of supernatural grace.

              Praise to the Essence of Unbridled Compassion!

Lord, on bended knee & outstretched hands, we plea that You evict from us all forms of death.

              Glory to the Weeping Prophet and Victorious Resurrection!

Hear our petitions from this place of men, as we also pray for our brethren, especially those:

 

·       suffering from abuse and neglect,

·       subjugated by war,

·       unjustly imprisoned,

·       drowning in grief and loss,

·       wrought by shame,

·       steeped in poverty,

·       victimized by violence,

·       shackled by deception,

·       wrestling with addictions,

·       afflicted by mental disorder,

·       fleeing from oppression,

·       on death’s doorway,

·       who struggle with evil,

·       looking to love You more,

·       and those who desire to renew the face of the earth.

“The Pilgrim”

Wednesday, March 15, 2023

 

CREO, SEÑOR

 

Entre las curaciones milagrosas que hace Jesús devolviendo la vista a ciegos, mi favorita es la curación de Bartimeo.  Éste insiste en que el Señor le atienda y una vez curado, abandona todo y sigue a Jesús por el CAMINO. Es notable que Bartimeo deja su túnica, la posesión más preciada que tiene. La túnica no solamente es vestimenta para cubrirse y para protegerse del frío, sino también para sentarse a la orilla del camino. Abandona todo lo que tiene y sigue a Jesús.

 

 

En el evangelio de hoy, el ciego cuyo nombre no sabemos porque de esa manera todos podemos identificarnos con el, no sabe quién es Jesús. Por tanto, el no pide ser sanado de su ceguera.   Es Jesús el que  llama a este ciego para que mediante su  cura se manifieste la gloria de Dios.

 

Jesús hace lodo y lo aplica a los ojos del ciego. Dios Padre hizo lodo para crear a Adán. La acción de Jesús nos recuerda la creación. Y el mandar al ciego a lavarse en la fuente de Siloé, nos recuerda nuestro bautismo que nos abre los ojos a la fe.

 

      Cuando el ciego da testimonio ante los ancianos y fariseos que quien lo curo tiene que ser de Dios porque solamente Dios puede hacer semejantes maravillas, ellos lo arrojan de la sinagoga.

 

Enterado Jesús, lo busca y lo llama por segunda vez. El ciego exclama, “ creo Señor” y postrándose, lo adora.

 

¿ cuántas veces nos ha llamado Jesús a ti y a mi ?  ¿ A que nos ha llamado?   Ciertamente, nos ha llamado a transformarnos, a convertirnos.  a cambiar, a ver nuestra vida bajo una nueva luz; a la luz de la fe, nuestros ojos abiertos a la Palabra

 

 Pero creo que por el hecho que eres parte de un grupo de oración o por lo menos, por el hecho que estás leyendo esta reflexión, pienso que buscas una mayor intimidad con Jesús.

 

¿ cómo se logra esa mayor intimidad con Jesús?  La sagrada escritura no nos dice que hizo el ciego después de postrarse y adorar al Señor. Podemos conjeturar que se convirtió en uno de sus discípulos después de hacer tan bello acto de fe. De Bartimeo, si sabemos que siguió a Jesús por el camino. ¿Cómo serían las conversaciones entre estos ciegos sanados y el Señor?

 

El secreto para lograr la intimidad con Jesús consiste en dejarse encontrar por Jesús en la oración. A menudo nuestra oración consiste de la recitación de oraciones que hacemos de manera rutinaria mientras nuestra mente, nuestra imaginación y nuestra memoria andan por otros lugares.  Si queremos dejarnos encontrar por Nuestro Señor para calmar la sed de Dios que sentimos, tenemos que dedicar momentos durante el día a renovamos en su presencia y algunos minutos diarios a retiramos a un lugar tranquilo y silencioso donde podemos escucharle.

 

 Hay que permitir que sea El el que hable, el que nos encuentre, el que esté en control de nuestra oración. Que nuestra actitud sea, “Aquí estoy Señor para hacer tu voluntad”.

 

 ¡Que así sea!

 

El caballero de Nuestra Señora

 

 

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

It Was About Noon

 

There is no mistake that most crimes happen in the dark of night.  It is obvious the criminal does not want to be seen.  He or she does not want light shed on their activities.  All sinfulness plunges us into a darkness.  It is for many a darkness that remains for a very long time.  For some it lasts a lifetime.  All of us spend some time in the darkness.  Each and every one of us has a dark side.  If we are honest, we all have part of us that we don’t want to bring into the light of day.

And so, we hide things.  We hide them and deceive others and ourselves.  There are times perhaps when we hide things by creating our own truth.  So we justify what is clearly wrong by creating our own version of right and wrong.  As more and more of this happens and more and more of the truth is distorted, there suddenly isn’t a clear distinction between darkness and light.  We live in a twilight where suddenly nothing is what it seems to be.

The only thing that can make things clear, that can bring things into the light is the Light himself.  In the story of the woman at the well, there is that seemingly small but important detail.  It says the encounter between Jesus and the woman happens around noon.  It happens at the time of day when it is the brightest, when there will be no hiding in the dark. It will be when everything is brought to light. 

We know the real light in that encounter has nothing to do with the sun, but rather with the Son, who is the Light.  He reveals to the woman her past that likely she wanted kept in the dark.  He tells her, “You are right in saying, ‘I do not have a husband.’ For you have had five husbands, and the one you have now is not your husband.”

The Light of the World sheds light on this woman not to condemn her but to save her and to save all.  It seems appropriate that the Lenten season comes in the spring.  Slowly the days are getting longer.  The darkness of the winter months is giving way to the brightness of spring and ultimately to summer.  So we must allow the Light of Christ to shine on us. 

It must have been initially embarrassing and painful for the woman to have Jesus acknowledge her sinfulness.  He came though not to condemn her but to refresh her and save her.  He is the Light and the living water.  She believes the messiah is coming and he echoes the words of God to Moses, “I am he.”

So let us not be blinded or put off by the noon-time light.  It is bright.  It will shed light on things that perhaps we want kept in the dark, but the true Light came that we might have life, not the darkness of death and sin. 

-  The Servant

Saturday, March 4, 2023

 

Second Sunday in Lent

Mt 17:1 -9

 

The Transfiguration

 

          Once again, we hear those words, “Be not afraid.”  Such important words as we continue our Lenten journey.

 

This particular scripture passage has always confounded me.  It always raises more questions than answers for me.  (But that’s ok, because wrestling with questions has always been a way for me to get closer to God.)  For instance, how did the apostles know that the other two individuals were Elijah and Moses?  There were no photographs back in those days.  I have never seen or heard of ancient paintings or drawings of them?  Were they wearing name tags?  Did they introduce themselves?  (I know I am being facetious, but the mind goes in many directions when questioning).  More importantly, what were Jesus and Elijah and Moses talking about?  Jesus often speaks of his upcoming suffering, death and resurrection.  Did he need to speak to Elijah and Moses about that?  And why them?  Why not Abraham, why not David? And most importantly, why did this happen in the first place?  Why did the Transfiguration occur?  Why in the presence of only Peter, James and John?

 

I don’t have answers to these questions, but I do know that this passage always reminds me of three things:

1.     We’re all connected.  Clearly this passage is telling me that Jesus is connected to Elijah and Moses.  A reminder that WE are connected to Elijah and Moses (and Abraham, and David, and ALL who have come before) and, most importantly, to Jesus.  (This always makes me think of that part of the Mass where a drop of water is poured into the chalice, signifying that we become part of the blood of Christ – part of Jesus, part of God – and CANNOT be separated.)

2.     We are all a part of Jesus’ suffering and death.  Suffering and death are inevitable.  And because we are literally part of Jesus, part of God (think of that drop of water again) we are part of the Pascal Mystery.  Which means, of course, that we are also ….

3.     … a part of Jesus’ resurrection.  A part of God’s glory.

 

That’s a scary thing.  I do not want to suffer and I do not want to die.  AND – I feel unworthy of God’s glory.  Yet, that is EXACTLY what I am called to.   A scary thing  yes, but Jesus reassures me, “Be not afraid.”

 

That’s what this Lenten journey is all about.  To be transfigured. 

 

Jesus, help me to be unafraid.

 

“Call Me Ishmael”

 

Thursday, March 2, 2023

 

Second Sunday in Lent

Mt 17:1 -9

 

The Transfiguration

 

          Once again, we hear those words, “Be not afraid.”  Such important words as we continue our Lenten journey.

 

This particular scripture passage has always confounded me.  It always raises more questions than answers for me.  (But that’s ok, because wrestling with questions has always been a way for me to get closer to God.)  For instance, how did the apostles know that the other two individuals were Elijah and Moses?  There were no photographs back in those days.  I have never seen or heard of ancient paintings or drawings of them?  Were they wearing name tags?  Did they introduce themselves?  (I know I am being facetious, but the mind goes in many directions when questioning).  More importantly, what were Jesus and Elijah and Moses talking about?  Jesus often speaks of his upcoming suffering, death and resurrection.  Did he need to speak to Elijah and Moses about that?  And why them?  Why not Abraham, why not David? And most importantly, why did this happen in the first place?  Why did the Transfiguration occur?  Why in the presence of only Peter, James and John?

 

I don’t have answers to these questions, but I do know that this passage always reminds me of three things:

1.     We’re all connected.  Clearly this passage is telling me that Jesus is connected to Elijah and Moses.  A reminder that WE are connected to Elijah and Moses (and Abraham, and David, and ALL who have come before) and, most importantly, to Jesus.  (This always makes me think of that part of the Mass where a drop of water is poured into the chalice, signifying that we become part of the blood of Christ – part of Jesus, part of God – and CANNOT be separated.)

2.     We are all a part of Jesus’ suffering and death.  Suffering and death are inevitable.  And because we are literally part of Jesus, part of God (think of that drop of water again) we are part of the Pascal Mystery.  Which means, of course, that we are also ….

3.     … a part of Jesus’ resurrection.  A part of God’s glory.

 

That’s a scary thing.  I do not want to suffer and I do not want to die.  AND – I feel unworthy of God’s glory.  Yet, that is EXACTLY what I am called to.   A scary thing  yes, but Jesus reassures me, “Be not afraid.”

 

That’s what this Lenten journey is all about.  To be transfigured. 

 

Jesus, help me to be unafraid.

 

“Call Me Ishmael”