Lectio Archives - Page 21 of 32

Peace!

One step forward, two steps back! That’s what I think when I hear the news lately. The world has certainly come a long way when you think about where we are today with technology, health, education, etc. Yet I watch the news and immediately burst into tears when I hear of another black man shot dead for no apparent reason and the retaliation that killed innocent police officers simply doing their jobs. Why is it that we have enough intelligence and presence of mind to create things like a phone we can give commands to but we don’t know how or refuse to acknowledge our connection to one another?

I don’t know what the answer is. I even think sometimes I may be part of the problem with my judgments and flawed perceptions. What these reports make me realize is that WE, the human race, need to get our heads out of the sand. We need to start a conversation – with ourselves, with our families and within our communities. It should begin with an acknowledgment that there is a problem (regardless of whether we can relate to it or not). Our moral compass should tell us “this is not right!” Let’s not make excuses simply because we can’t understand what some people go through everyday. I started crying this morning watching the faces of all these young people who were killed in the past week. I think of the senseless murders, the pain of the families and worse – the hate that perpetrated it all.

Thanks to the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, Pa I learned to do lectio divina with things other than Scripture. They brought to my awareness, through retreat, the possibility of doing lectio with nature, art and the news. So I sit with my sadness and think about why I’m so moved.

I’m moved with compassion. On one hand I’m grateful for the fact that in my 46 years of life as a Puerto Rican woman, I have never “felt” the sting of prejudice or discrimination (it may have been there but I didn’t feel it – by the grace of God I wasn’t privy to it). On the other hand, I am saddened by the fact that my darker skinned brothers and sisters haven’t had that privilege and worse – the same people who rob them of the privilege are the same people who can’t understand their dilemma.

I’m moved with guilt because although I tell myself that I’m not prejudiced, I too am guilty of unfair judgments. I’d like to think that I am not part of the problem, but I know that deep down inside I really am. So, I’m moved to change my thoughts and actions. I’m moved to take Mahatma Ghandi’s words to heart. I have to be the change I want to see in the world. No more judgments, no more ill-conceived perceptions. It’s time to start seeing with new eyes. It’s time to start seeing that the person right in front of me is my soul sister or brother, no matter their race, religion or nationality. It’s time to start seeing EVERYONE through the eyes of love.

I contemplate the reasons why this is all happening now and all I can come up with is FEAR. Fear, which we know, comes from the evil one. Fear because so much of the world has strayed from the Truth. We have convinced ourselves that we are in control of everything and nothing could be further from the truth. How can we weed out fear from our lives, from our communities, from our nation and our world? Turn back to God, turn back to love! Evil, hate and fear need to be transformed to goodness, love and courage. This transformation can only be done by including God in our daily lives. It’s not as simple as it sounds. It takes time and effort because with conversion comes temptation.

Before we decide we don’t have time for all this work, let’s be realistic. For one thing, we waste so much time researching technology, with the intention to be the first to get the latest devices and then we spend countless hours trying to figure out how to operate them. We wait on a line for hours and sometimes even days to be the first to purchase the latest craze for ourselves and for our children. None of this feels like a waste of time though.

Interestingly, we find it difficult to take the time to nourish our souls. Reading a good book, opening and discussing scripture and sitting quietly while we pray – THIS is what many people see as a waste of time. It’s time we start realizing we may have everything we want but what we need to truly survive is lacking. This truth is evident in what’s going on in society.

Everyone most certainly DOES have the time to put God first, many just don’t have the will. Do you see a connection between what’s going on in this nation today and the fact that we’ve taken God out of everything? Major League Baseball is even debating the possibility of not singing God Bless America during the 7th inning stretch of baseball games because it’s offensive to some. REALLY?

In my last post I wrote about a bible verse in the book of Baruch which basically says if we follow God we will live in enduring peace. It reminds me of the bumper sticker which reads No God, No peace. Know God, Know Peace. Following God means more than just saying you believe, although that’s a start. Following God means putting Him first. It means taking the time to build a stronger relationship with Him. It means realizing He is your rock, your refuge, your strength, your fortress and sooooo much MORE. It means talking the talk AND walking the walk, which leads me to my point – all the latest news reports should move us to an examination of conscience, the dialogue must begin with ourselves.

Our challenge for today: Think about the first thought that pops into your head when you see someone who is different from you (a different color, different nationality, tattoos, homeless-you get the idea). Be honest. Is it a thought that has manifested from fear or is it a thought manifested from love? Only you know the truth. Hopefully this examination of conscience will move us closer to the Truth, capital T, closer to true love! God Bless you!

ALL LIVES MATTER!

In memory of Michael Brown, Jr., Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Dontre Hamilton, John Crawford III, Ezell Ford, Dante Parker, Tanisha Anderson, Akai Gurley, Tamir Rice, Rumain Brisbon, Jerame Reid, Tony Robinson, Phillip White, Eric Harris, Walter Scott, Freddie Gray, Randy Nelson, Antronie Scott, Wendell Celestine, Jr., David Joseph, Calin Roquemore, Dyzhawn Perkins, Christopher Davis, Marco Loud, Peter Gaines, Torrey Robinson, Darius Robinson, Kevin Hicks, DeMarcus Simer, Willie Tillman, Ashtian Barnes, Jessica Williams, Michael Wilson, Vernell Bing Jr., Doll Pierre-Louis, Ollie Brooks, Antwan Shumpert, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile; and

Officers Lorne Ahrens, Michael Krol, Michael J. Smith, Brent Thompson, Patrick Zamarripa, Rafael L. Ramos and Wenjian Liu and many others not mentioned here who have died in the line of duty.

May the Divine assistance be always with us and may the souls of the faithful departed, by the mercy of God, rest in peace!

Twelve Apostles, Australia

Jesus commissioning the twelve – we read about this in Matthew 10:7-15. Today I decided to do a lectio divina with this passage. I write about lectio divina in one of my pages – I hope you’ve had an opportunity to read about it if you’ve never heard of it. It is a powerful practice and one you will crave once you start doing it. I cannot stress enough how God’s awesomeness becomes apparent when you open your heart to His Word. I’ll get back to this in a moment.

As some of you may know, I wake every morning at about 4 am. My phone and headphones are usually on my night stand (for no other reason but to use my prayer apps – the phone is actually on “do not disturb”) and while my husband gets ready for work, I pray, meditate and/or read. I get out of bed around 4:45 to prepare his lunch and after he leaves at 5 am I get back in bed with my headphones on and meditate or read some more. At this time I usually use the Pray as you go app and then do Divine Office. Today I read the daily mass readings, which included the Gospel of Matthew, and then I did Divine Office.

During lectio, the phrase that struck me in this Gospel is: “make this proclamation ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.'” We’ve heard this before and we’ve also heard of the sense of urgency implied in that proclamation. Christ is coming, prepare yourselves! Today, I got a different message. What does it mean when something is “at hand?” “At hand” means nearby. According to the web “nearby” can be interpreted two ways: 1) close in time or about to happen; 2) readily accessible when needed. When we apply the second interpretation to the “proclamation” it becomes: The Kingdom of Heaven is readily accessible when needed! Aha! Amen!

Jesus goes on to tell his apostles to take nothing for their journey. He’s sending them out as “laborers” and implies that all of their needs will be provided for by those who receive them. That seems like a lot to ask. It’s going to take a lot of trust on their part and also much discipline to take nothing for their journey. One interesting note here, which I heard in yesterday’s homily – the twelve have gone from being called disciples to being called apostles. The root of the word disciple is discipline. Apparently, they have passed the test. They were disciplined enough to become the first apostles, close followers of Christ.

How does this apply to us? Today, who is supposed to do the work of the original apostles? We are! This Gospel gives us direct instructions. It’s calling us to empty ourselves – of all our possessions and distractions, of the things we’ve learned, to release the thoughts that force us to operate from the mind and to unlearn our way back to God, to become like little children in order to operate from the heart. The message is clear, be disciplined in order to become His present day apostles!

As I continued my “studies” today, the message became clearer. This is why I say God’s awesomeness becomes apparent when you open your heart to His Word. Romans 14:17-19: “The kingdom of God does not mean eating or drinking this or that, it means righteousness and peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit. If you serve Christ in this today you will please God and be respected by men. So let us adopt any custom that leads to peace and our mutual improvement. Wow!

So back to the proclamation: The kingdom of heaven is at hand. This takes on a whole new meaning for me today. Here’s what I hear Jesus saying when commissioning the twelve: “Make this proclamation: righteousness and peace and joy brought by the Holy Spirit is readily accessible when needed!” Isn’t it comforting to know that we have the authority, through the Holy Spirit, to access righteousness, peace and joy whenever we need it? All we have to do is be disciplined in our practice and be open to the movement of the Spirit. More importantly, we’re expected to share this news with others.