 istening
to the Spirit:
Reflections
for May 10-16, 2009
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Fifth Sunday of Easter
Acts
9: 26-31; Psalm 22; 1 John 3:18-24; John 15:1-8
Acts
details the successes and failures which the newly converted
Paul experienced in preaching Christ. First, the Christians
were afraid of Paul, but Barnabas stood up for him. When he
debated with Greek-speaking Jews, however, he was almost killed.
So the “brothers” sent him home to Tarsus, and
the church “was at peace.” Paul was trying to
bear the fruit that Jesus promised those who remained in him,
like branches on a vine, receiving their life-blood directly
from him. God is glorified, no matter what the outcome of
our generativity. The whole paschal mystery is “the
triumph of failure”, as a book by Edward Leen called
it. What is important is that we abide in God and God in us,
in loving union. “We know that Christ remains in us
from the Spirit he gave us,” John’s first letter
concludes today. This union gives God glory.
A good way to celebrate Sunday is to take a walk in the beauty
of spring. Look deeply at each living thing, knowing how branches
live from the trunk, grass from its roots, flowers from their
stems. Feel the pulsation of life in the growing things around
you. Then stand still and feel the pulse of the Spirit filling
you with Christ’s life. How will you respond. (Another
definition of contemplation is “a long, loving look
at the real.”)
Jesus, our vine, source of life, thank you for sharing your
image of God as vine-grower, or in Greek, “farmer”.
Farmer-God, grow us strong and fruitful that we may love “in
deed and truth.”
Monday,
May 11, 2009
Acts 14: 5-18; Psalm 115; John 14: 21-26
Note how earlier in Acts Peter and John were persecuted after
the crippled man at the Beautiful Gate in Jerusalem jumped
to his feet. Now Paul and Barnabas are heralded as gods by
the Gentiles after Paul tells a cripple to stand, and he too
jumps up. No matter what the consequence, both Peter and Paul
act for the glory of God and are instruments of God’s
healing of cripples. Jesus offers us an inflow of God’s
love and the Holy Spirit who will teach us “everything,
and remind you of all that I told you.”
Ask the Spirit to show you where parts of your personality
are crippled, paralyzed, in any way dis-eased. Ask for the
inflow of God’s healing, and God’s dwelling in
your self. Jesus says directly to you: “My Father will
love you and we will come to you and make our dwelling with
you.” Ponder that loving union happening within your
self, flawed as it may be.
Thank you, Jesus, for joining us together with one another
in you, in God, in the power and love of your Holy Spirit.
We long for a deepening of your Spirit at Pentecost. Make
us ready to jump up in your service!
Tuesday,
May 12, 2009
Acts 14: 19-28; Psalm 145; John 14: 27-31
We follow the travels of Paul and Barnabas around Asia Minor
and back to Antioch where they began their partnership, co-laboring
as Paul would call it in his letters. They give a report of
all that God had done among the Gentiles, and soon will be
summoned to Jerusalem to give an account to their “enemies”,
the Judaizing Christians. Jesus has a word for them and for
us: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you.
Not as the world gives do I give it to you. Do not let your
hearts be troubled or afraid.” In Acts 15 we will attend
to the conflict in the early church: whether Paul and Barnabas
were right in allowing Gentiles to be baptized without circumcising
the men and making men and women pledge to keep the Jewish
Law. Or whether they violated the norms of the community.
(Judaizers wanted Gentiles to become Jews first and then Christians).
Peace as the world gives? Surely Jesus jokes? Even in the
first community there is conflict. What does peace mean to
you? How is the peace Jesus gives different? Where at this
moment is your heart troubled? What/whom do you fear? Hear
Jesus directly address you: “Peace.” Picture his
peace as an inflow of color and warmth and let it circulate
through your blood stream. Breathe deeply. Enjoy the peace
of Christ. Rest.
Holy Spirit, open our minds and hearts to see laws and norms
in perspective. Open us especially to the peace of Christ
and his inclusive loving, loving through us.
Wednesday,
May 13. 2009
Acts 15: 1-6; Psalm 122; John 15: 1-8
Judaizing Christians would often follow Paul and insist that
the new Gentile converts had to follow the Law. “There
arose no little dissension and debate.” We who are torn
among right wing Catholics and liberal Catholics are in much
the same situation. Do we follow Law? Do we know and respond
to the Spirit? The gospel gives us a way, a truth and a life:
“Whoever remains in me and I in that person will bear
much fruit, because without me you can do nothing.”
No matter our position on morality, on doctrine, on authority,
we are always joined with one another and our life-giving
vine, Jesus. Both “sides” do bear fruit, do they
not? Isn’t God good?! Jesus concludes today: “By
this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and
become my disciples.”
Become
my disciples? Are we not already? Maybe not. Discipulus/a
in Latin is a learner. Ask the Spirit to teach you where (
perhaps unconsciously) you are closed to learning. Let the
Spirit bubble up the truth in you. Ask to be opened to all
facets of truth. Who could have all the truth about God, Jesus,
the Spirit, the way to live, to pray, to respond? Ask for
openness.
Jesus, make us one with all Catholic Christians, no matter
what our positions. Let us all bear your fruit and glorify
our God. Make us one with all Christians, and with all God’s
children, no matter what their faith or lack of it.
Thursday, May 14, 2009 St. Matthias, apostle
Acts 1:15-17, 20-26; Psalm 113; John 15: 9-17
True dialogue that leads to peace includes the sharing of
faith, speaking of our religious experience. In Acts, Peter
takes the leadership in replacing Judas. For Luke, who thinks
of an apostle as one of the Twelve, paralleling the former
twelve tribes of Israel, this is important.” In the
gospel, Jesus urges his friends to remain in his love. “As
the Father loves me, so also I love you.” Just AS God
loves Jesus! Amazing grace! Jesus continues: “My joy
is in you.”
Can you believe it? You are loved by Jesus AS God loves him?
In the same way as God loves Jesus, so he loves you? Jesus
takes joy in you? Perhaps it is easier to believe in a doctrine
than in this personal love of Jesus for you as you are. Rest
in Jesus’ love for you, and in his amazing grace.
Lord, we believe you love us and that you rejoice in us, take
delight in us. Help our unbelief!
Friday,
May 15, 2009
Acts 15: 22-31; Psalm 57; John 15: 12-17
The educator Sidney Simon offers a classification for the
people in our lives. In the farthest circle are our acquaintances:
a clerk at the grocery, our family physician, etc. In German
this person would be called a neighbor as in “love your
neighbor.” A more inner circle, according to Sidney
Simon, are our companions, and Acts offers the description
of how the early Christians shared (com) bread (panion) with
one another. Still closer are our friends, in German a “co-person.”
Jesus speaks of his disciples (and us) as friends “because
I have told you everything that I have heard from my Father.”
The deepest and closest relationship in Simon’s schema
is intimacy. Jesus and God are intimate. Jesus assures us
that we are more than servants, more than friends. Jesus and
we are intimates.
How can you respond to this call to intimacy? How does it
make you feel? The psalmist responds: “My heart is ready,
O God, my heart is ready!” Speak with Jesus about your
feelings about being so very close with him. Listen. Rest.
Thank you, Jesus, for choosing us as your friends, as your
co-persons, as the ones whom you send to bear your fruit.
Let our intimacy with you make us fruitful today.
Saturday,
May 16, 2009
Acts 16: 1-10; Psalm 100; John 15: 18-21
Paul chooses Timothy to be his companion and together they
follow the directive of the Spirit. Twice the Spirit “prevents”
or “does not allow” them to go to certain areas,
but then Paul has a vision in which a Macedonian (northern
Greece) invites him to come and help. They conclude “that
God had called them to proclaim the Good News to them.”
If we wish we might have visions and know so clearly where
God calls us, we need to attend to all the feelings that arise
in us, all the desires of our hearts, becoming more and more
aware of them each day. We might examine our consciousness
every day to see what feelings stir the Spirit, and which
drag us more into isolation. As we attend daily to our feelings
and desires we, like Paul, can grow more alert to the promptings
of the Spirit.
Examine yesterday (or today, if you are reading this at night).
First, for what do you give God thanks? What did you do? How
did you feel? What did you want -- all through the day? Where
was the Spirit at work? Where did you find God? How was your
heart expanding or shrinking? Offer the day with its joys
and sorrows to God.
Jesus, keep us alert to the movements of the Spirit in our
hearts, in our families and communities. Thank you for all
the grace at work in our world. Thank you for your Spirit.
Archives - 2009
|
rayer
brings our whole religious life into focus; it supports the
rhythm of our lives emphasizing now the person, now the community,
now the world we serve.
ister
Rea McDonnell, SSND, offers daily reflections on the Liturgical
Readings for each day. If
you wish to share your own reflections or have comments or
questions, please feel free to