August 30th, 2009
Mark 7: 1-8, 14-15, 21-23
7Now when the Pharisees and some of the scribes who had come from Jerusalem gathered around him, 2they noticed that some of his disciples were eating with defiled hands, that is, without washing them. 3(For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, do not eat unless they thoroughly wash their hands, thus observing the tradition of the elders; 4and they do not eat anything from the market unless they wash it; and there are also many other traditions that they observe, the washing of cups, pots, and bronze kettles.) 5So the Pharisees and the scribes asked him, ‘Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with defiled hands?’ 6He said to them, ‘Isaiah prophesied rightly about you hypocrites, as it is written, “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me;
7in vain do they worship me, teaching human precepts as doctrines.”
8You abandon the commandment of God and hold to human tradition.’
Then he called the crowd again and said to them, ‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand: 15there is nothing outside a person that by going in can defile, but the things that come out are what defile.’
21For it is from within, from the human heart, that evil intentions come: fornication, theft, murder, 22adultery, avarice, wickedness, deceit, licentiousness, envy, slander, pride, folly. 23All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.’
You will recall that last week I wrote about how two people communicate their love by doing things for each other. What I didn’t say in that reflection is that we all know that even in the best marriages there are times when doing these things is not a communication of love at all. Sometimes they are done not in love but in resentment and anger. Often they are done simply because that is what is expected or that is what one has always done or because ‘That’s what women do.’ or ‘That’s what men do.’ What began as a loving relationship full of communion and communication rooted in mutual service erodes into a daily grind of two people doing all that is required without ever looking at the other’s heart or trying to discern what the other’s heart truly needs or desires.
In this week’s Gospel, the Pharisees and scribes challenge Jesus because he and his disciples don’t follow the traditions of the elders. The traditions spoken about in this scripture were not laws handed down by Moses but were practices added by elders over the years. The thing is, when one of these traditions began, it could very well have been started by someone who truly had deep love of God and wanted to show his love by being extra diligent in a matter of purification or sacrifice. It could have sprung out of intimate communion and was a living gift of communication between God and one of his beloved. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to see how others may have adopted this extra ritual because the one who began it was a beautiful and holy person and others mistakenly assumed it was the action that caused the holiness rather than the love relationship from which the action sprang. Then, as generations continued the practice, little by little, the love and grace of the action was lost until it became an empty ritual, something that was expected but not really understood.
In other words, it is very easy to fill our spiritual lives with various traditions, prayers and actions that are empty of the communion of love. That doesn’t mean these traditions are in any way bad, useless or meaningless; it simply means that, just as in any good marriage or relationship, we need to stop, review all the things we do and ask ourselves if we have lost our first love – or indeed, when it comes to the Lord, if we ever fell in love at all or did we just keep doing things because that’s what our parents did or that’s what our community always does? We especially need to spend time discerning whether we rely on our actions to justify ourselves spiritually while judging others who don’t seem to be quite as diligent as we are. It’s right at that point that Jesus had issues with the Pharisees and scribes. He didn’t mind if they wanted to wash their hands all day long but when washing became more important than compassion and love and when all the washing being done was covering over hearts that were self righteous, territorial, judgmental and lacking in a true relationship with the Father, that’s where Jesus put his foot down.
“That is not communion, people;” he was saying, “that is not a love relationship with my Father. That is a relationship with your own righteousness, your own opinions, your own needs and with your own outward image. You have made the huge mistake of thinking that it’s what you do that makes you pleasing to the Father.”
The Father didn’t say, “This is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased” because Jesus did all the right things and said all the right prayers and was a reader in the synagogue and gave money to charity but because he and Jesus were in love with each other and everything that Jesus did flowed out of that immediate and vibrant love. Jesus ‘had the power’ because he was in love and he was beloved of the Father. I just can’t emphasize this enough. Jesus and the Father yearn to have an ‘in-love’ relationship with us.
Too many people have a faulty subconscious image of this two-way love. They see it as “I love God and he loves…all of us.” So many know they are called to love the Lord but have not grasped that God’s love goes beyond “God so loved the world” to “God so loves me.” Present tense and personal. Remember the first time you ever fell in love? Remember walking around on a cloud feeling so happy you didn’t know how to contain it and all you could think was, “He loves me! He loves ME!” The joy came from knowing that someone chose you. You weren’t just pushed onto him; he wasn’t obligated to love you. He chose you to be his girlfriend and it was amazing to you to know that he was equally exhilarated by the fact that you chose him.
Think it can be like that with the Lord? Of course it can. He created first love.
It doesn’t matter what you do for the Lord, if you have not first established and maintained an in-love relationship with him, healing and inner growth will be sporadic and difficult. God will always love you no matter what. He will always bless you and keep you. He does not blame you for not understanding the depth of his love for you. You will never, in this lifetime, have a full understanding of his love anyway. But for his sake and your sake and for the sake of his body, before you do anything you need to try to grasp, and keep on grasping, how he loves you: head over heels and unconditionally. He doesn’t need what you do. He just wants you.
At the risk of making this reflection a bit longer than usual, I’m going to leave you with the lyrics to the Bryan Adams song, “Everything I Do”. Read these words and allow them to soak into your spirit as if they are words spoken to you by Jesus. If you know the tune to this song, imagine Jesus singing it to you – and weep for joy as you fall in love.
Everything I Do I Do It For You
Look into my eyes - you will see
What you mean to me
Search your heart - search your soul
And when you find me there you'll search no more
Don't tell me it's not worth trying for
You can't tell me it's not worth dying for
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you
Look into your heart - you will find
There's nothing there to hide
Take me as I am - take my life
I would give it all - I would sacrifice
Don't tell me it's not worth fighting for
I can't help it - there's nothing I want more
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you
There's no love - like my* love
And no other - could give more love
There's nowhere - unless I’m* there
All the time - all the way
Oh - you can't tell me it's not worth trying for
I can't help it - there's nothing I want more
I would fight for you - I'd cry for you
Walk the wire for you – yes, I'd die for you
You know it's true
Everything I do - I do it for you.
****
*1 changed from ‘your’
*2 changed from ‘you’re’
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Holy Communion
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
John 6:53, 60-69
53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
66 Because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ 68Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
Today, class, we are going to look at how Jesus introduced his followers to Quantum Physics.
Just kidding, though I’m sure there is a Catholic physicist out there somewhere who could expound on this possibility. What Jesus did do, though, was challenge his followers to take a Quantum Leap. The definition of ‘Quantum Leap’ is: “An abrupt change or step, especially in method, information, or knowledge.” It is not a change that occurs gradually over a continuous period; it’s sudden. The quantum leap Jesus was asking his followers to take was not a leap in accepting some knowledge that could be proved or disproved by looking at the facts. He was not asking them to grow slowly into this knowledge. This was a leap of faith he was challenging them with.
Thomas Merton says that communication and communion are two fundamentally different modes of knowing. Communication is a logical, linear and one-dimensional way of imparting information that leads up to a definite conclusion. Communion is a way of knowing that which can’t necessarily be verified or quantified using visible proof or logical argument.
You could ask your spouse, “Do you love me?” and he could truthfully answer, “I go to work every day. I take out the garbage. I keep an eye on the kids when you’re making supper. I wash the dishes. Sometimes I give you a back massage. I carry in the groceries. How can you ask if I love you?”
By listing all the things he does for you, he is communicating that he loves you. Just by doing those things, he is communicating his love. This is fantastic. We couldn’t exist in relationship without these verifiable proofs of our love for each other. But they aren’t enough. Relationship needs communion as well as communication. There is something of the mystery of God’s sweet love in the moment a man or woman looks deep into the eyes of his or her partner and says, “I love you,” especially if it’s not said just because it’s expected under the circumstances. This same mystery can exist between a parent and child. It is a knowing that goes deep and beyond what can be shown on the surface and is the foundation for the whole relationship. Every relationship needs a renewal of a commitment to communion every once in a while – a fresh determination to say, “I love you”, not just do “I love you.”
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” In other words, he is saying that unless you open yourself to real communion with him you cannot enter into the mystery of his love. He is saying that love goes deeper and has more impact on the whole psyche than what can be seen and measured and it is not a one-way street. At least two are needed for communion to take place. He isn’t saying that unless you eat his flesh and drink his blood he won’t allow you enter into communion with him; he’s saying that you won’t have the capacity to be in communion with him.
The fact that Jesus lived on earth and died on a cross is a historically verifiable fact. If we are open to believing the eyewitness accounts of the disciples as truth, his rising from the dead could also be considered a fact. All this is marvelous information that has been communicated to us by scripture and by historical documents. But our hearts need more than that and Jesus knew that. His dieing on the cross communicated his immense love for us, but the Eucharist should be a communion with that love. Eucharist is meant to be the mystery of Jesus looking deeply into the eyes of our hearts as he says, “I love you.” The sad thing is that, for many people, Eucharist has dwindled to being a linear communication. It has become a symbol of what he did for his people while our reception of it is simply a symbol of our love for him. We know this is not our Catholic theology but sometimes the mystery of communion gets lost in our distraction with ‘doing’. We can continue to receive without being fully aware of what we are supposed to be receiving. We can lose the spirit and the life. Some people have lost, or never had in the first place, a sense of their phenomenal value to the Lord and don’t feel they are worthy enough to see him look into their eyes and to hear him say, “I love you.” They only feel they are supposed to tell him they love him. This is not communion. Communion is an intimately shared experience.
Jesus said, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh (including the brain) is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” In case you feel the meaning of this should be obvious but because you don’t really ‘get it’ then you must be spiritually obtuse, please remember where we started. Jesus challenged his disciples to take a huge leap of faith – he didn’t explain, in a logical linear fashion, what he meant. This wasn’t another one of his parables. He knew his followers would not be able to intellectually grasp what he was saying because this was a teaching of communion not communication. All he was asking was that they stick with him and trust him.
“Do you want to leave me as well?” he asked the twelve. Bless their hearts; they gave the only possible answer of the committed follower of Jesus. “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know (or ‘you have communicated to us’) that you are the Holy One of God.” Even though his words didn’t make logical verifiable sense to them, all they could do was trust.
And sometimes that’s all you can do. If you go to Mass and you are aware that you are feeling dry and uninspired, take the route of the quantum leap. Say to Jesus, “Lord, where else can I go? You have the words of eternal life. I have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then, when you go up to receive the body and blood of Christ, take another quantum leap of faith toward true communion. As the Body and Blood pass your lips, tell Jesus you love him. Then allow your sanctified imagination to see the eyes of Jesus looking at you and hear him say, in a moment of wonderful communion,
“Believe me, I love you, too!”
John 6:53, 60-69
53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.
When many of his disciples heard it, they said, ‘This teaching is difficult; who can accept it?’ 61But Jesus, being aware that his disciples were complaining about it, said to them, ‘Does this offend you? 62Then what if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? 63It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. 64But among you there are some who do not believe.’ For Jesus knew from the first who were the ones that did not believe, and who was the one that would betray him. 65And he said, ‘For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted by the Father.’
66 Because of this, many of his disciples turned back and no longer went about with him. 67So Jesus asked the twelve, ‘Do you also wish to go away?’ 68Simon Peter answered him, ‘Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69We have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.’
Today, class, we are going to look at how Jesus introduced his followers to Quantum Physics.
Just kidding, though I’m sure there is a Catholic physicist out there somewhere who could expound on this possibility. What Jesus did do, though, was challenge his followers to take a Quantum Leap. The definition of ‘Quantum Leap’ is: “An abrupt change or step, especially in method, information, or knowledge.” It is not a change that occurs gradually over a continuous period; it’s sudden. The quantum leap Jesus was asking his followers to take was not a leap in accepting some knowledge that could be proved or disproved by looking at the facts. He was not asking them to grow slowly into this knowledge. This was a leap of faith he was challenging them with.
Thomas Merton says that communication and communion are two fundamentally different modes of knowing. Communication is a logical, linear and one-dimensional way of imparting information that leads up to a definite conclusion. Communion is a way of knowing that which can’t necessarily be verified or quantified using visible proof or logical argument.
You could ask your spouse, “Do you love me?” and he could truthfully answer, “I go to work every day. I take out the garbage. I keep an eye on the kids when you’re making supper. I wash the dishes. Sometimes I give you a back massage. I carry in the groceries. How can you ask if I love you?”
By listing all the things he does for you, he is communicating that he loves you. Just by doing those things, he is communicating his love. This is fantastic. We couldn’t exist in relationship without these verifiable proofs of our love for each other. But they aren’t enough. Relationship needs communion as well as communication. There is something of the mystery of God’s sweet love in the moment a man or woman looks deep into the eyes of his or her partner and says, “I love you,” especially if it’s not said just because it’s expected under the circumstances. This same mystery can exist between a parent and child. It is a knowing that goes deep and beyond what can be shown on the surface and is the foundation for the whole relationship. Every relationship needs a renewal of a commitment to communion every once in a while – a fresh determination to say, “I love you”, not just do “I love you.”
Jesus said, “Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you.” In other words, he is saying that unless you open yourself to real communion with him you cannot enter into the mystery of his love. He is saying that love goes deeper and has more impact on the whole psyche than what can be seen and measured and it is not a one-way street. At least two are needed for communion to take place. He isn’t saying that unless you eat his flesh and drink his blood he won’t allow you enter into communion with him; he’s saying that you won’t have the capacity to be in communion with him.
The fact that Jesus lived on earth and died on a cross is a historically verifiable fact. If we are open to believing the eyewitness accounts of the disciples as truth, his rising from the dead could also be considered a fact. All this is marvelous information that has been communicated to us by scripture and by historical documents. But our hearts need more than that and Jesus knew that. His dieing on the cross communicated his immense love for us, but the Eucharist should be a communion with that love. Eucharist is meant to be the mystery of Jesus looking deeply into the eyes of our hearts as he says, “I love you.” The sad thing is that, for many people, Eucharist has dwindled to being a linear communication. It has become a symbol of what he did for his people while our reception of it is simply a symbol of our love for him. We know this is not our Catholic theology but sometimes the mystery of communion gets lost in our distraction with ‘doing’. We can continue to receive without being fully aware of what we are supposed to be receiving. We can lose the spirit and the life. Some people have lost, or never had in the first place, a sense of their phenomenal value to the Lord and don’t feel they are worthy enough to see him look into their eyes and to hear him say, “I love you.” They only feel they are supposed to tell him they love him. This is not communion. Communion is an intimately shared experience.
Jesus said, “It is the spirit that gives life; the flesh (including the brain) is useless. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” In case you feel the meaning of this should be obvious but because you don’t really ‘get it’ then you must be spiritually obtuse, please remember where we started. Jesus challenged his disciples to take a huge leap of faith – he didn’t explain, in a logical linear fashion, what he meant. This wasn’t another one of his parables. He knew his followers would not be able to intellectually grasp what he was saying because this was a teaching of communion not communication. All he was asking was that they stick with him and trust him.
“Do you want to leave me as well?” he asked the twelve. Bless their hearts; they gave the only possible answer of the committed follower of Jesus. “Lord, to whom can we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and know (or ‘you have communicated to us’) that you are the Holy One of God.” Even though his words didn’t make logical verifiable sense to them, all they could do was trust.
And sometimes that’s all you can do. If you go to Mass and you are aware that you are feeling dry and uninspired, take the route of the quantum leap. Say to Jesus, “Lord, where else can I go? You have the words of eternal life. I have come to believe and know that you are the Holy One of God.” Then, when you go up to receive the body and blood of Christ, take another quantum leap of faith toward true communion. As the Body and Blood pass your lips, tell Jesus you love him. Then allow your sanctified imagination to see the eyes of Jesus looking at you and hear him say, in a moment of wonderful communion,
“Believe me, I love you, too!”
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Pumped!
Sunday, August 16th, 2009
John 6: 51-58
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’
When I was a kid in Saskatchewan, every farm had a hand operated pump in the yard. In order to get the water flowing they had to prime the pump. They would pour water into the pump to improve the seal and then start pumping the handle. The part I remember best was watching and waiting with thirsty impatience as someone pumped the handle up and down, up and down. It seemed to take forever but suddenly the water would start gushing out. It was clear, cold, abundant, wonderful water on a hot dry Saskatchewan summer day.
Last week we looked at how crucial it is to keep a watch over our mouths and over the thoughts of our hearts and to build up habits of praise and thanksgiving rather than habits of judgment and complaining. Speaking in gratitude and building up habits of positive trust in the Lord is “priming the pump” spiritually. You have received the Bread of life in the Eucharist. Jesus the Bread, the Word or the water is deep within you just like the water was deep in the well on that hot dusty Saskatchewan farm. It was a fascinating mystery to me, when I was a child, that in order to get water to flow out of that pump, water had to be poured in first. In order for the water of the Spiritual life to begin to gush out of us, we need to pour water in. Practicing gratitude, hope and trust in the Lord is what primes our pumps. Eventually what will come out is a supernatural flow of grace. But you have to prime the pump. That’s your job.
Jesus keeps referring to the Jewish ancestors who received natural food and drink in a supernatural manner. He was saying, “Yes, God can provide for his people and he can do it in a way that creates awe and wonder…for the moment. Time after time in the wilderness, my Father provided for his people in miraculous ways. They had food, meat, drink and healing all provided in ways that no one could deny was the hand of a mighty God. But manna, quail and waters gushing out of a rock did not fill these people with a spiritual life of lasting gratitude and grace. When their physical and emotional needs seemed to be unmet, they immediately lost heart and started complaining. They kept drying up spiritually. The desert was as much in their hearts as it was in the land around them. Their souls were howling wildernesses. The most they could come up with was ‘in the moment gratitude’ which faded away when the next set of difficult circumstances arose. Most of these people died in the wilderness without really understanding the true provision of God.”
In the Gospel, Jesus said to the people, “…whoever eats me will live because of me.” It seems so simple doesn’t it? If we go to Mass and receive the Eucharist, we should be full of the dynamic Life of God but it often doesn’t feel much like it. Well, in fact, we are full of this life. It’s getting it out of us that’s the problem. The life within us is like the water sitting deep in the well to which the pump is connected. It’s there. It’s water. It has the capacity to bring life. But it has to be brought to the surface. You have to prime the pump.
You want spiritual life and grace to flow out? Then pour it in. Pour it in with the music you listen to. Pour it in with the people you hang out with. Pour it in with scripture and spiritual books. But most of all pour it in with the words of your mouth and the attitudes of your heart.
My husband’s mother used to say to him, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are” which is very true. Our environment, whether it’s people or our physical environment have a strong influence on how we feel and think, but we need to start seeing that our thoughts, attitudes, judgments and what comes out of our mouths are an environment in themselves. We live within our thoughts and within what we speak. When we speak and think negativity we are actually creating a wilderness for ourselves to live in. There is no lush growth because there is no flowing water. There is no flowing water because the well is deep and the pump is rusty from disuse.
My friend’s teenage daughter left a note asking her mom to buy her some nuts. Her little brother left an answering note: “You are what you eat…” I’d like to twist this around a little: you eat what you are. When negativity is constantly thought and spoken, this is the food you are feeding yourself, the food you are living on day by day. And then we can go back to the original maxim: you are what you eat. If you constantly feed yourself negative thoughts and judgments you will eventually become negativity personified. And so the circle goes. And so the wilderness grows.
(By the way, all this applies to all the negative thoughts and condemning judgments you have about yourself as well. You are what you eat…what kind of a diet do you feed your inner self about your value and worth to the Lord? Do you say, “I am so bad. I am so stupid. I’m a failure.” Or do you say, “Thank you Father, for making me who I am. You are the beautiful creator and you only create beauty. Help me to see myself as you see me and love myself the way you love me.”?)
There is a beautiful statement in this week’s gospel: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Such a wonderful and peaceful thought. Abide is not a word that brings to mind hard labor. It brings to mind rest, contentment and growth. Once the pump is primed and once the waters begin to flow, there is much rest. Not only will you then begin to learn to abide in the Lord but he will be happy to abide in you because he will be at home in the sweet waters of your heart.
Gardens in the desert. It’s what we’re called to be.
John 6: 51-58
I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, ‘How can this man give us his flesh to eat?’ 53So Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood have eternal life, and I will raise them up on the last day; 55for my flesh is true food and my blood is true drink. 56Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. 57Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so whoever eats me will live because of me. 58This is the bread that came down from heaven, not like that which your ancestors ate, and they died. But the one who eats this bread will live for ever.’
When I was a kid in Saskatchewan, every farm had a hand operated pump in the yard. In order to get the water flowing they had to prime the pump. They would pour water into the pump to improve the seal and then start pumping the handle. The part I remember best was watching and waiting with thirsty impatience as someone pumped the handle up and down, up and down. It seemed to take forever but suddenly the water would start gushing out. It was clear, cold, abundant, wonderful water on a hot dry Saskatchewan summer day.
Last week we looked at how crucial it is to keep a watch over our mouths and over the thoughts of our hearts and to build up habits of praise and thanksgiving rather than habits of judgment and complaining. Speaking in gratitude and building up habits of positive trust in the Lord is “priming the pump” spiritually. You have received the Bread of life in the Eucharist. Jesus the Bread, the Word or the water is deep within you just like the water was deep in the well on that hot dusty Saskatchewan farm. It was a fascinating mystery to me, when I was a child, that in order to get water to flow out of that pump, water had to be poured in first. In order for the water of the Spiritual life to begin to gush out of us, we need to pour water in. Practicing gratitude, hope and trust in the Lord is what primes our pumps. Eventually what will come out is a supernatural flow of grace. But you have to prime the pump. That’s your job.
Jesus keeps referring to the Jewish ancestors who received natural food and drink in a supernatural manner. He was saying, “Yes, God can provide for his people and he can do it in a way that creates awe and wonder…for the moment. Time after time in the wilderness, my Father provided for his people in miraculous ways. They had food, meat, drink and healing all provided in ways that no one could deny was the hand of a mighty God. But manna, quail and waters gushing out of a rock did not fill these people with a spiritual life of lasting gratitude and grace. When their physical and emotional needs seemed to be unmet, they immediately lost heart and started complaining. They kept drying up spiritually. The desert was as much in their hearts as it was in the land around them. Their souls were howling wildernesses. The most they could come up with was ‘in the moment gratitude’ which faded away when the next set of difficult circumstances arose. Most of these people died in the wilderness without really understanding the true provision of God.”
In the Gospel, Jesus said to the people, “…whoever eats me will live because of me.” It seems so simple doesn’t it? If we go to Mass and receive the Eucharist, we should be full of the dynamic Life of God but it often doesn’t feel much like it. Well, in fact, we are full of this life. It’s getting it out of us that’s the problem. The life within us is like the water sitting deep in the well to which the pump is connected. It’s there. It’s water. It has the capacity to bring life. But it has to be brought to the surface. You have to prime the pump.
You want spiritual life and grace to flow out? Then pour it in. Pour it in with the music you listen to. Pour it in with the people you hang out with. Pour it in with scripture and spiritual books. But most of all pour it in with the words of your mouth and the attitudes of your heart.
My husband’s mother used to say to him, “Show me your friends and I’ll show you who you are” which is very true. Our environment, whether it’s people or our physical environment have a strong influence on how we feel and think, but we need to start seeing that our thoughts, attitudes, judgments and what comes out of our mouths are an environment in themselves. We live within our thoughts and within what we speak. When we speak and think negativity we are actually creating a wilderness for ourselves to live in. There is no lush growth because there is no flowing water. There is no flowing water because the well is deep and the pump is rusty from disuse.
My friend’s teenage daughter left a note asking her mom to buy her some nuts. Her little brother left an answering note: “You are what you eat…” I’d like to twist this around a little: you eat what you are. When negativity is constantly thought and spoken, this is the food you are feeding yourself, the food you are living on day by day. And then we can go back to the original maxim: you are what you eat. If you constantly feed yourself negative thoughts and judgments you will eventually become negativity personified. And so the circle goes. And so the wilderness grows.
(By the way, all this applies to all the negative thoughts and condemning judgments you have about yourself as well. You are what you eat…what kind of a diet do you feed your inner self about your value and worth to the Lord? Do you say, “I am so bad. I am so stupid. I’m a failure.” Or do you say, “Thank you Father, for making me who I am. You are the beautiful creator and you only create beauty. Help me to see myself as you see me and love myself the way you love me.”?)
There is a beautiful statement in this week’s gospel: “Those who eat my flesh and drink my blood abide in me, and I in them. Such a wonderful and peaceful thought. Abide is not a word that brings to mind hard labor. It brings to mind rest, contentment and growth. Once the pump is primed and once the waters begin to flow, there is much rest. Not only will you then begin to learn to abide in the Lord but he will be happy to abide in you because he will be at home in the sweet waters of your heart.
Gardens in the desert. It’s what we’re called to be.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Positive Reinforcement
Sunday, August 9, 2009
“I’m bored…I want to…why can’t I?...it’s too hard… I don’t want this, I want that…so and so’s bugging me…I wish I could… how come they get to?…you never… how much longer?…I’m hungry…I did that yesterday and I’m tired of doing that…it’s not fair…”
Sounds like the irritating mantra of a kid in the middle of a long summer, right? Well, actually, that’s me when I forget who my God really is – my Bread of Life – and when I forget my part in receiving the nourishment of this Bread.
John 6: 41-51
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 42They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ 43Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
Jesus is faced here with complaints and negativity. The first thing he says to them in this Gospel is, “Do not complain among yourselves.” This is important. Jesus wasn’t just reacting in irritation; he was setting the prerequisite for being able to receive his words and therefore receive him as the Bread of Life.
Jesus knows that negativity and complaining can become more than just an expression of a momentary upset. He wants us to understand that negativity is an addictive barrier to receiving spiritual nourishment. When we continually speak out our negativity, complaints, cynicism, disappointments and irritation, our inner dissatisfaction is rarely, if ever, resolved. It seems like all that happens is we become more aware of things that are all wrong and of people and situations that are dragging us down. In the moment, it feels very satisfying to complain or make cynical observations. It feels like we are more in control because we are able to identify what’s wrong in our lives. We tell ourselves we’re being realistic and that our complaints are completely justified.
And watch out when a group begins to complain to each other, reinforcing each other in negativity and cynicism. There is a strength of energy in ‘group negativity’ that is a little scary.
We may be totally right about what we see is wrong in a situation or a person but that in no way justifies our entering into a state of continuous complaining.
“Do not complain among yourselves.”
Why would negativity hinder us from receiving the nourishment of Jesus? Because our focus is on something other than the goodness, provision and power of God and the more we focus on something other than his Life, the less we are able recognize his life and fully trust in it. The more adept we become at recognizing the bad, the ugly and the wrong in our lives, the less ability we have to see and appreciate the lovely, the beautiful, the gentle and the right.
The psalm for this Sunday has important things to say to us on this subject. I have added more verses from it than what will be read on Sunday. Psalm 34:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
Look to him, and be radiant
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Which of you desires life,
and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
Jesus says, “Do not complain among yourselves.”
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And from Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, people, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Praise and acknowledgment of God’s wondrous goodness is like gentle rain for the spirit and soul. It softens the inner earth and makes it ready to receive the Word, the Bread of Life.
I need to be clear about something here. There are times when we very much need to vent about situations or people in our lives that are causing us great difficulty. This reflection is not advocating that we deny our difficulties and stuff them away until we’re ready to explode. For this purpose we need to connect with a trusted friend (who could be our spouse or a parent), a priest we feel comfortable with or a spiritual director, someone we know will listen to us and will be balanced and wise and help us to sort through the struggles we are dealing with. This is healthy, good and wonderful for the spirit and soul.
The rest of the time, though, we need to build up habits of looking for the good and blessing God for these things. It won’t be easy at first. If it seems almost impossible to see something good, then we need to practice simply professing that God is Good. Our mouths need to get used to having honey flow out of them rather than vinegar. Memorize these lines from psalm 141 and pray them every night before you go to sleep:
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice
(Yes…sometimes it is a great sacrifice to praise God instead of focusing on all that’s wrong.)
Set a guard over my mouth O Lord;
keep a watch over the door of my lips.
Amen and amen.
“I’m bored…I want to…why can’t I?...it’s too hard… I don’t want this, I want that…so and so’s bugging me…I wish I could… how come they get to?…you never… how much longer?…I’m hungry…I did that yesterday and I’m tired of doing that…it’s not fair…”
Sounds like the irritating mantra of a kid in the middle of a long summer, right? Well, actually, that’s me when I forget who my God really is – my Bread of Life – and when I forget my part in receiving the nourishment of this Bread.
John 6: 41-51
41 Then the Jews began to complain about him because he said, ‘I am the bread that came down from heaven.’ 42They were saying, ‘Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How can he now say, “I have come down from heaven”?’ 43Jesus answered them, ‘Do not complain among yourselves. 44No one can come to me unless drawn by the Father who sent me; and I will raise that person up on the last day. 45It is written in the prophets, “And they shall all be taught by God.” Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me. 46Not that anyone has seen the Father except the one who is from God; he has seen the Father. 47Very truly, I tell you, whoever believes has eternal life. 48I am the bread of life. 49Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats of this bread will live for ever; and the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.’
Jesus is faced here with complaints and negativity. The first thing he says to them in this Gospel is, “Do not complain among yourselves.” This is important. Jesus wasn’t just reacting in irritation; he was setting the prerequisite for being able to receive his words and therefore receive him as the Bread of Life.
Jesus knows that negativity and complaining can become more than just an expression of a momentary upset. He wants us to understand that negativity is an addictive barrier to receiving spiritual nourishment. When we continually speak out our negativity, complaints, cynicism, disappointments and irritation, our inner dissatisfaction is rarely, if ever, resolved. It seems like all that happens is we become more aware of things that are all wrong and of people and situations that are dragging us down. In the moment, it feels very satisfying to complain or make cynical observations. It feels like we are more in control because we are able to identify what’s wrong in our lives. We tell ourselves we’re being realistic and that our complaints are completely justified.
And watch out when a group begins to complain to each other, reinforcing each other in negativity and cynicism. There is a strength of energy in ‘group negativity’ that is a little scary.
We may be totally right about what we see is wrong in a situation or a person but that in no way justifies our entering into a state of continuous complaining.
“Do not complain among yourselves.”
Why would negativity hinder us from receiving the nourishment of Jesus? Because our focus is on something other than the goodness, provision and power of God and the more we focus on something other than his Life, the less we are able recognize his life and fully trust in it. The more adept we become at recognizing the bad, the ugly and the wrong in our lives, the less ability we have to see and appreciate the lovely, the beautiful, the gentle and the right.
The psalm for this Sunday has important things to say to us on this subject. I have added more verses from it than what will be read on Sunday. Psalm 34:
I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together.
Look to him, and be radiant
so your faces shall never be ashamed.
Come, O children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Which of you desires life,
and covets many days to enjoy good?
Keep your tongue from evil,
and your lips from speaking deceit.
Depart from evil, and do good;
seek peace, and pursue it.
Jesus says, “Do not complain among yourselves.”
I Thessalonians 5: 16-18:
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
And from Philippians 4:8:
“Finally, people, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.”
Praise and acknowledgment of God’s wondrous goodness is like gentle rain for the spirit and soul. It softens the inner earth and makes it ready to receive the Word, the Bread of Life.
I need to be clear about something here. There are times when we very much need to vent about situations or people in our lives that are causing us great difficulty. This reflection is not advocating that we deny our difficulties and stuff them away until we’re ready to explode. For this purpose we need to connect with a trusted friend (who could be our spouse or a parent), a priest we feel comfortable with or a spiritual director, someone we know will listen to us and will be balanced and wise and help us to sort through the struggles we are dealing with. This is healthy, good and wonderful for the spirit and soul.
The rest of the time, though, we need to build up habits of looking for the good and blessing God for these things. It won’t be easy at first. If it seems almost impossible to see something good, then we need to practice simply professing that God is Good. Our mouths need to get used to having honey flow out of them rather than vinegar. Memorize these lines from psalm 141 and pray them every night before you go to sleep:
Let my prayer be counted as incense before you,
and the lifting up of my hands as an evening sacrifice
(Yes…sometimes it is a great sacrifice to praise God instead of focusing on all that’s wrong.)
Set a guard over my mouth O Lord;
keep a watch over the door of my lips.
Amen and amen.
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