Knitting a Conundrum

Everything we do is an opportunity to witness, to some degree or another. In my little rose garden I’ve been working so hard at, there is a cross and a statute of the Archangel Michael (not one of the cutesy, looks like a victorian lady angels.)

This is my quiet witness to all the passers by (and there are a lot - it’s on the path from the elementary school) that someone here is a believer.

Showing your faith as a matter of fact, normal integral part of your life that motivates how you act in care, and faith and love is often a good constant witness.

It’s amazing how many little ways we can witness. Some of it is witnessing that God matters. Some of it is witnessing how much God is a part of our lives. Some of it is reaching out with prayer and kindness. With God seen as a negative, sometimes just letting God be seen in a positive is the first step. These things often open the door to a way to share more deeply.

Labels: discipleship

As we go through life with its ups and downs, we need to remember two things:

We are not worthy no matter what our opinion of our selves, in the eyes of God, for we have all failed at some point, but we are invited by him anyway, so we are worth something in the eyes of God — he himself gives us our value, not anything we personally have done or failed to do, so whether we have low self-esteem or think of ourselves as the most wonderful of persons, it doesn't really matter. God's love of us is our only true value.

But then, too, we see how Jesus modelled behavior, so we need not to be puffed up, either:

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,
who, though he was in the form of God,
did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,
but emptied himself,
taking the form of a servant.

For love, even God the Son was willing to empty himself, to put the needs of all of us ahead of his high place in Heaven, to reach out and save us.

We have worth because God loves us. But all of us have worth because God loves us, not just one or two. So how should we behave? Thankful, because of that love. And in thankful gratitude, we should try our best to stop seeing ourself as top dog, and honor each other because of the love God bestows on all our fellows, submitting the way Christ submitted, out of love and thankfulness.

MUCH, MUCH easier said than done. A whole life’s work!

Labels: discipleship

Love transforms.
__________________

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels,
but have not love,
I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.

And if I have prophetic powers,
and understand all mysteries and all knowledge,
and if I have all faith,
so as to remove mountains, but have not love,
I am nothing.

If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I gain nothing.

Love is patient and kind;
love is not jealous or boastful;
it is not arrogant or rude.
Love does not insist on its own way;
it is not irritable or resentful;
it does not rejoice at wrong,
but rejoices in the right.

Love bears all things,
believes all things,
hopes all things,
endures all things.

Love never ends.

I Corinthians 13 1-8a RSV

As I like to condense it, Jesus tells us to love God with all we have, and love our fellow men with like we love ourselves.

It’s demanding, hard, and not easy. But with God, all things are possible, and we will become not necessarily people of power or wisdom or strength or nobility or wealth, but people who love as he loves.

So many traps along the way to pull us from that love. And it’s not a love that says “I’m OK, you’re okay, let me pat you on the head and say you’re nice.” It’s a love that demands us to stand up and be holy. To reach out when we’re tired. To care for people we don’t like. To pray for people we know want to do us wrong. To choose the loving way when we might prefer vengeance. To deal kindly with our spouses when we want to yell. To act lovingly to our children when they reach that point we want to beat them. To avoid saying the hurtful thing about that smarmy co-worker when we have a juicy tidbit. And so on and so on, but in the end, persevering, we will stand before our Lord and hear him say, “Well done.” And know it is all worth it.

Labels: Love

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. Nor do men light a lamp and put it under a bushel, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." Matthew 5: 14-16 RSV

We are the tools in God's hands. He knows that none of us alone can reach everybody, but it is our calling to touch those whose lives we are in contact with.

When you think about all the misery in the world that sin causes, anger, and grief and hunger and fear and despair, it's overwhelming. But when you bring it down to remembering to be kind, to act justly, to behave mercifully, and to share the light of Christ by both word and, in some ways more importantly, deed with those who you come in contact with, you know it's a job that is doable.

I see us all as little lanterns. We don't shine with our own light, but we carry the light of Christ with us, and from that light, other lights get lit. One candle isn't very bright, but can light a huge number of other candles along the way.

Labels: discipleship

Fear of hell can, and in the past, has been an important motivator in why a person seeks out God. But it shouldn't be the only motivator that keeps us walking in the right.

St. John Neumann's act of contrition puts it well:

"O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee, and I detest all my sins, because I dread the loss of Heaven and the pains of Hell, but most of all because they offend Thee, my God, Who art all-good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of Thy grace to confess my sins, to do penance and to amend my life. Amen."

Yes, hell is a consequence of sin, one we dread. Yet like you said, it shouldn't be our ultimate motivation, although many might start there. But it is because of our love of Jesus, love of God that we want not to sin, because we love him and don't want to be separated by sin from him. We love him, those of us who follow him, to greater or lesser degrees, and it's because of that love that we are most motivated to do right.

But as a protestant teenager, fear of hell was a big motivator for me at about the age of 12, when I sought out baptism in the church I was raised in. Sometimes it takes time to get to be in love with God. It's a relationship which develops with time. But people who love don't want to be separated from their beloved by anything, and as we grow in our love of the Lord, that love makes us say, "I don't want to be separated from you, Heart of my heart!" and the consequences of sin as visions of fire no doubt fade as other emotions take their place.

My thought for the afternoon!

Labels: Following Jesus, Spiritual Growth

Is there anyone who is a devout lover of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Is there anyone who is a grateful servant?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!

Are there any weary with fasting?
Let them now receive their wages!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their due reward;
If any have come after the third hour,
let him with gratitude join in the Feast!
And he that arrived after the sixth hour,
let him not doubt; for he too shall sustain no loss.
And if any delayed until the ninth hour,
let him not hesitate; but let him come too.
And he who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let him not be afraid by reason of his delay.

For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
He gives rest to him that comes at the eleventh hour,
as well as to him that toiled from the first.
To this one He gives, and upon another He bestows.
He accepts the works as He greets the endeavor.
The deed He honors and the intention He commends.

Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike receive your reward;
rich and poor, rejoice together!
Sober and slothful, celebrate the day!

You that have kept the fast, and you that have not,
rejoice today for the Table is richly laden!
Feast royally on it, the calf is a fatted one.
Let no one go away hungry. Partake, all, of the cup of faith.
Enjoy all the riches of His goodness!

Let no one grieve at his poverty,
for the universal kingdom has been revealed.
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again;
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death, for the Death of our Savior has set us free.
He has destroyed it by enduring it.

He destroyed Hades when He descended into it.
He put it into an uproar even as it tasted of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, have been troubled by encountering Him below."

Hell was in an uproar because it was done away with.
It was in an uproar because it is mocked.
It was in an uproar, for it is destroyed.
It is in an uproar, for it is annihilated.
It is in an uproar, for it is now made captive.
Hell took a body, and discovered God.
It took earth, and encountered Heaven.
It took what it saw, and was overcome by what it did not see.
O death, where is thy sting?
O Hades, where is thy victory?

Christ is Risen, and you, o death, are annihilated!
Christ is Risen, and the evil ones are cast down!
Christ is Risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is Risen, and life is liberated!
Christ is Risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead;
for Christ having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.

To Him be Glory and Power forever and ever. Amen!

Labels: Easter

Someone I was discussing things with recently said:

-—If you were in a place that no one knew you and you were not wearing a cross or clothing proclaiming some religious idea would the people there know that you were a Christian, a little Christ, by your actions and your words?-—

This is one of those profound thoughts. Is your faith a living faith, one that shapes what you do, how you act, what choices you make, how you relate to your fellow man? Do people see something different that makes them know that you may be in the world, but aren’t of the world? Are you being salt and light and leaven in ways that people notice?

Paul’s instruction to the Galatians may be worth considering here:


Do not be deceived; God is not mocked, for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in well-doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we do not lose heart. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all men, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.

Galatians 6:7-10 RSV

Motivation counts. Are we choosing to be Christ-like for love of Christ?

Deeds count, if we are doing them out of love of Christ for Christ because he asked us to. Any other motive for deeds is from our flesh nature and will receive a flesh nature reward.

It’s probably fair to say that even when we are trying to do them for Christ we throw a bit of the flesh nature in anyway, but He knows our real motivation, and will weigh it accordingly.

Yet it is by our deeds and the motivations people perceive us as having that men will notice that we are different. How do people know you are Christian? Are you a living sign that people can point to and say, "That person is different."

Labels: discipleship

Speaking of forgiving one another and the Passion of Christ:

And when they came to the place which is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on the right and one on the left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”

Luke 23:33-34

Even as he was pinned to the cross in pain and misery, Jesus forgave. And in dying it was his wish that we be forgiven.

As he has forgiven us, may we in turn pass that forgiveness, forbearance and love to each other.

What matters is not that we win debates or be proven right in our own eyes. What doesn't matter is if we have been wronged unfairly, or hurt, or injured or been victimized. What matters is that we imitators of Christ, and become channels of his blessing and light to all whose lives we touch.

And as Jesus demonstrated with his life on earth and death, don’t expect such a tall order to be easy, always safe, or comfortable. There is a price to pay. He himself was a sign of contradiction...we too, if we follow him well, will be lightning rods that people will notice, but the reward with our Father in heaven is worth it. And by being true, we leave the world in a lighter, more blessed place than if we don’t.

Labels: discipleship

For a long time a personal slogan of mine has been based on Micah 6:8 -Act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with God.

To me, that is justice tempered with mercy, not just some sense of fairness or fulfilling the legal letter of the law, and it says do mercy that goes beyond that sense of fairness, beyond minimum requirements, because of the desire to be in relationship with God.

In I John 4: 16, John says: God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God. Love can be a hard road to walk. But on Holy Thursday and Good Friday, we are given the evidence of how much God understands just what he is asking. Jesus walked it too...he knows our weaknesses, how frail the flesh can feel, how deep anguish can go. First hand he has experienced how bitter the dust is when you fall, how it hurts to be wronged, the helplessness when a victim of injustice, how it feels to know people hate you, want to kill you, what it’s like to be lied about and tortured and slandered and killed for political reasons. He himself did what he asks us to do.

We’ll fall from his standard from time to time and again, but he will pick us up if we let him, and help us dust off, and get back up the road.

And he tells us to do the same with those we come in contact with. Teaching by example.

The love he demands of us isn't some spun sugar thing, hippie eyeglasses that see the world in rosy colors. The price he paid for this was heavy. The actions he expects of us are also heavy at times.

Love is seeing our fellow man as a child that God died to save, who has worth and value. Even if we don't like him, are frightened by him, or have been hurt by him. He showed us the way when he forgave the people who were putting him to death.

Love is forgiving, but forgiving doesn’t mean to abrogate your duties, to forget that the person you forgive for injuring you could be a danger, or a whole batch of silliness we seem to think love means.

Love means letting go of the hate. Love means to give up the reasons we use to treat our fellow as less than human. Love means to give up the prejudices, the hate chains we use to stop seeing a child beloved of God and create a lesser being.

Love is not necessarily an emotion, any more than forgiveness is. It is an act of will. It is forgiving because you were forgiven. It is being merciful, because God is merciful to you. It is responding as if we were doing things for Christ through the power of Christ because we love Christ, who first loved us.

Tonight, let us consider what he has done for us. And then in thankful admiration, pass on that gift wherever Christ leads us.

Labels: Following Jesus, Lenten meditations

It is the little touches that add up the most in life...saying the kind word, smiling at the lonely, helping someone know they are not alone that really let us show Christ's light in a daily way.

I read a quote today that says a lot: Mercy glorifies the one who receives it. Do-gooding glorifies the one who originates it.

When we do these things out of mercy, following Jesus, because we love Jesus, we aren't looking to toot our own horns. We are reaching out because of love. If we get into the do-gooding frame of mind, it's cause we want to look good, and that takes a big, noteworthy gesture.

Acting out of love, even if it seems tiny is worth so much more than doing a huge thing because it makes us look good. And we all have that within our means.

God is so good, to let such little things matter so much!

Labels: Following Jesus

The purpose of life does not consist in making money but in love and in truth, Benedict XVI explained during his Palm Sunday homily.

Addressing around 50,000 young people today, the Pope advised them "to not be satisfied with what everyone thinks, says and does. Be attentive to God, seek God." The youth were celebrating diocesan-level World Youth Day, held today.

The Holy Father began Holy Week with a procession of palms in a St. Peter's Square adorned with olive tree branches from the region of Puglia in Italy.

This procession, the Pontiff explained, "is above all a joyous testimony that we give to Christ, in whom the face of God is made visible to us and thanks to whom the heart of God is open to all of us."

Following Christ

"What does 'the following of Christ' mean concretely?" Benedict XVI asked in his homily.

"It has to do with an interior change of life," he answered. "It demands that I no longer be closed in considering my self-realization as the principal purpose of my life."

The Pope continued: "What we are talking about here is the fundamental decision to no longer consider utility and gain, career and success as the ultimate goal of my life, but to recognize truth and love instead as the authentic criteria.

"We are talking about the choice between living for myself and giving myself – for what is greater. And let us understand that truth and love are not abstract values; in Jesus Christ they have become a person. Following him, I enter into the service of truth and love. Losing myself, I find myself."

At the end of the Eucharistic celebration, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims in seven languages. In English he said: "May the great events of Holy Week, in which we see love unfold in its most radical form, inspire you to be courageous 'witnesses of charity' for your friends, your communities and our world."

Source:

Labels: Following Jesus