Wisdom of the Heart

When John McCain was running for president of the United States, he wanted to choose Joe Lieberman as his running mate, but his advisors talked him into choosing Sarah Palin instead. It is now believed that McCain would have been more likely to have won if he had followed his instincts and chosen Lieberman. We will never know for sure how that scenario would have played out, but one thing we do know is that when we listen to the wisdom that is provided to us, we live in peace instead of with regrets.

We often pray for wisdom; for example, in Chapter 9 of the book of Wisdom, Solomon prays, “Send her [wisdom] forth from your holy heavens and from your glorious throne dispatch her that she may be with me and work with me….” And how does wisdom dwell with us and work with us? Most notably through our intuition. Yet we often fail to trust that the wisdom that comes to us at such times is truly from God.

Wisdom is one of the fruits of the Spirit and is available to all creatures. Animals and plants are much better at following their internal wisdom than humans are. Let us be alert to and trust in the wisdom that comes to us when we listen and incline the ear of our hearts. As Psalm 85:12 says, “Indeed, the Lord will give what is good.”

Resisting Expectation

We humans generate expectations because of our desire to feel secure and be in control. However, God has little regard for our expectations. I generally expect August weather to be hot and humid, and this morning I woke up to temperatures in the low 60s with a light breeze. What a delightful surprise!

Other surprises aren’t so pleasant. My older brother was laid off his job in Ogden, Utah, after being employed there only three years. What awful news! Three and a half months later, he was hired to be managing editor of the Yakima Herald-Republic newspaper. What great news!

We don’t know what each day will bring, but we can choose to remember that God is in the midst of it, whether what we encounter is to our liking or not. What we judge to be pleasant can bring refreshment and joy to our hearts. What we judge to be distressing can be an opportunity to trust that God will bring good out of it. May we grow in the discipline to resist judgment and take life as it comes, knowing that God is at the center of all that was and is and will be.

Sharing the Dream

The 55th anniversary of the Civil Rights March that brought 250,000 people to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, will be commemorated on August 28, 2018. It was at this event that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., proclaimed “I Have a Dream!” Most people don’t know that Dr. King had started to deliver a totally different speech in which the word “dream” wasn’t even mentioned. At one point as Dr. King was reading this other speech, the singer Mahalia Jackson called out, “Tell them about the dream, Martin! Tell them about the dream!” Dr. King looked over at her and then set aside his prepared speech. He became transformed from lecturer to preacher, speaking words from his heart that inspire us to this day.

At that moment, Mahalia Jackson felt the prompting of the Spirit and responded by encouraging her friend, Dr. King, to feel it and act on it too. Her attunement to the Spirit can inspire us to speak out and encourage each other when we need to fight for changes in unjust systems and advocate for the rights of the abused and oppressed. It appears we are at such a moment now in the Church, as we recognize the need for a new model of collaborative leadership. Concentrating power in the hands of a small segment of the church—the clergy—is an unhealthy model that has led to abuses. We must allow all members of the Body of Christ who have been blessed with wisdom and gifts such as administration, money management, teaching, and preaching to share in the responsibility of guiding the church.

All those who have been baptized and confirmed in the Spirit have a sacred responsibility to respond to the prompting of that Spirit. We may not have the voice of Mahalia Jackson, who was an extraordinary gospel singer, but we can learn from her how to use our own voice to encourage others to speak their dream of a just, inclusive, and nurturing kingdom of God.

Being Seen By God

Today’s gospel reading regarding the call of Nathaniel mentions specifically that Nathaniel was sitting under a fig tree when he was approached by Philip. Why did John include this curious detail in his story? I found an explanation by James Rush, who noted, “According Rabbi Maimonides, if an Israelite wanted to express thanks for times of abundance or hope in difficult times one way would be to pray underneath a fig tree. Praying under a fig tree indicated complete trust in God and specifically that God would ‘see him.’ When Jesus said ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ it immediately completed Nathaniel’s reason for being under the fig tree in the first place.... To be seen as a faithful Israelite by God” (https://christianity.stackexchange.com/questions/44884/john-147-49-understanding-nathaniel).

We don’t have to sit under a fig tree, or in any particular place at all, to be seen and known by God. As St. Augustine stated, “In order for us to see, we have been seen; in order for us to love, we have been loved.” God sees us as we are, enabling us to see and accept our own weaknesses and giftedness; God loves us as we are, prompting us to share that joy by loving others.

To be seen and loved is a powerful and life-changing experience. Being seen frees us from using all our energy to hide our weaknesses and failings and helps us take responsibility for using the gifts we have been given. Being known and loved leads us to recognize God (as Nathaniel proclaimed, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel”) and fuels our zeal to share our joy by extending that love to others. That is why we should care a fig about where Nathaniel was sitting when he received the call to follow Jesus!

The Lessons of Heartbreak

It is clear that a great many people are feeling heartbroken because of the news about how bishops and other leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania covered up child sexual abuse of more than 1000 victims by 300 priests over a period of 70 years.

Heartbreak is an inescapable response to this situation. As noted by the poet David Whyte, “Heartbreak is an indication of our sincerity…and is [an] essence and emblem of care….  Heartbreak may be the very essence of being human, of being on the journey from here to there, and of coming to care deeply for what we find along the way.”

What we find along the way of following Christ is that we belong to one another. Consequently, we will reverence, protect, and nurture each other, with special care given to those who are most vulnerable and powerless—children, elderly persons, the poor, and refugees.

Maria Popova notes that being heartbroken is a sign of maturity, a “psycho-emotional growth-spurt.” In the context of belonging to the Catholic church, this means that the laity will hold church leaders accountable for their actions and decisions instead of deferring to them and believing they will do no wrong. It means that the laity will take responsibility for being leaders in the church instead of relinquishing that role to priests, bishops, and archbishops. It means that we will do the nuts and bolts work of putting policies and practices in place to ensure that the vulnerable are protected and their needs are met.

Heartbreak, although difficult to experience, strengthens our determination to take care of each other. We must grieve over the shattered lives of victims and their families and the betrayal we have all experienced. Then we must act to create a church that is true to the teachings of Christ.

Our Piece of Christ

The Mount community welcomed a new postulant, Emily Bauer, in a prayer ritual at supper on August 18. As Prioress Esther Fangman introduced our newest community member, she noted that we are grateful Emily has joined us because she brings with her a little piece of Christ that we didn’t have before.

It is an intriguing concept to think of each person we encounter as having a piece of Christ we didn’t have before. Viewing everyone in this way would lead us to treat others with respect—reverence, even—and the joy of finding a missing piece of the puzzle that is the Body of Christ.

In my nightly examen, I have stopped asking “How was I aware of Christ today?” and now note particular aspects of Christ that I encounter—for example, “I was aware of Christ’s abundance today in the bushels of peaches Sharon Mathis gave us” or “I was aware of Christ’s generosity today in the way Sister Janelle shared some of her organ music with a Sophia Center retreatant.” Every day provides opportunities to learn more about God, with all of us holding a piece of God’s eternal presence.

Being Where God Is

At my pre-profession retreat, I was intrigued by the following piece of advice by Cardinal Basil Hume, OSB, from his book The Intentional Life: “Do not forget that wherever you are, with whomsoever you are, whatever you are doing, you can, in the present moment, attain union with God.” That sounds good—but just how do we go about attaining that union?

I believe the key is to train ourselves to look at things as Christ does. For example, upon being in Atchison, Kansas, Christ would say, “How good it is to be here, where God dwells!” instead of “Well, I’m much more likely to find God at the Cathedral, where they have a bigger organ and more relics.” Upon encountering a street person, Christ would say, “How good we can celebrate God’s love by sharing a meal together!” instead of “You know, I’m much more likely to encounter God by sharing a bottle of fine wine over dinner with a famous theologian.” Upon being invited to help peel a bushel of peaches. Christ would say, “Wasn’t it just peachy of God to create such a fragrant and delicious fruit?” instead of “I’m sure I’d learn much more about God by spending my time reading the latest edition of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.”

As Fr. Richard Rohr has noted, “…the proper or spiritual way of understanding things is outside the realm of comparison or judgment.” Thus, the key to attaining union with God is to recognize that God is present everywhere, at every moment, instead of making a judgment that some places, peoples, and actions are more worthy of or likely to contain God’s Spirit.

If we define heaven as the place where God is, then it appears heaven is within our grasp whenever we stop limiting God through our comparisons and judgments and instead focus on being aware of and present to the God who is already with us wherever we are, whoever we are with, and whatever we are doing.

The Unforeseen Effects of Good Zeal

Yesterday at a Serra Club appreciation dinner for sisters in Northeast Kansas, Archbishop Naumann commented that in the morning he had presided at mass in a parish in Axtell that had an extraordinary choir. When he asked how the choir came to be, he was told it began with Sr. Rita Claire Judge, who taught 3rd and 4th in the school several decades ago and transmitted her love of music to the children and the parish. The community came to value the beauty of the music and the prayerfulness it lent to their worship, so they passed on their commitment to the choir from generation to generation.

This story illustrates that when we are faithful to our work and share our enthusiasm—or, as St. Benedict would say, our zeal—with others, it will bear fruit. Love is contagious. Although we cannot foresee the form or direction it will take, we can trust that it will strengthen the body of Christ and speak of God’s goodness.

Aesop said, “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” Similarly, sharing our enthusiasm for the beauty of the life we have been given will plant seeds that will generate yet more life for the world.

A Witness to God's Goodness and Mercy

This week I learned that Dennis, an inmate at Lansing Correctional Facility who had been part of the Catholic Scripture study/faith sharing group, died of cancer. After receiving his cancer diagnosis about two years ago, at Dennis’ request, one of our volunteers helped him prepare to receive the sacraments of Baptism, Reconciliation, First Communion, and Confirmation. When they discussed why Dennis wanted to do this, his reply was simple; he said, “I want to do something right in my life, and this is it.”

What can we do in life that is more right than receiving the sacraments? Each sacrament is an affirmation of our relationship with the God who created us, forgives us, feeds us, and calls us to serve others. I find it deeply touching that Dennis recognized the grace God offered him and was able to accept it despite the mess he had made of his life in the past.

The last job Dennis held in the prison was in the bake house. He found new purpose in feeding others as a baker, just as he had been fed by Christ and by the support of the volunteers and inmates in the Catholic Callout group. When we do right by developing a relationship with God, suddenly many other aspects of life start going right as well.

Before he died, Dennis ended up blessing the lives of others through his witness to God’s goodness and mercy. He embodied the words of Psalm 136: “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.”

Living In "And" Times

Making the sign of the cross is a standard element of Catholic prayer, but after 50+ years of participating in this ritual, it only recently occurred to me that the key word we say is not Father, Son, or Holy Spirit, but “and”! Every time we make the sign of the cross, we acknowledge that God dwells within a relationship of the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit, AND we are invited to become one with them! If the essence of God is to be in relationship, then we are called to do the same, not just with God, but with all the people we encounter each day. After all, if God is connected to them and we are connected to God, then we are all connected to each other.

Being in relationship with others does not happen accidentally but requires intention. We need to choose to be open to those who cross our path each day. Rituals can help us be intentional about being in relationship, whether it is simply making the sign of the cross or participating in the sacraments.

Last night I had the privilege of participating in a ritual with the sisters of St. Mechtild Hall, who welcomed me and Sister Barbara Conroy to their living group. We came together to share a meal, bless our new rooms, and create a flower arrangement to represent our new life together. As part of our ritual, we prayed, “O God, may you who exist in a perpetual, loving relationship with the Son and Spirit guide us in our lives together. May we treat each other with respect, kindness, and patience and truly live as people of peace. May the spirit of pardon and forgiveness reside with us, and may mirth and laughter, playfulness and prayer, compassion and love be permanent guests in our home.”

Appropriately, we ended our ritual in the name of the Father AND the Son AND the Holy Spirit, who are always inviting us to a deeper relationship with them and all those in the body of Christ.

Making a Bigger Table

The following poem was inspired by the Jesuit priest and scientist Teilhard de Chardin, who sometimes did not have what he needed to offer mass while working in a remote area of China. Instead, he envisioned the entire universe as an altar, because the whole universe is in process of becoming unified in Christ, and he offered a spiritual Mass on the World. The poem was also influenced by Fr. Richard Rohr, who noted regarding Jesus’ dining habits that he was “always breaking the rules and making a bigger table.”

Alteration

I have prayed at altars

made out of a manger,

fine white marble,

a lunchroom folding table,

a box covered by a scarf,

and a long, flat limestone rock

pocked with insect fossils,

though I suspect that if God

were to send the angel

Gabriel to us in a dream

with design specifications

for the ideal altar, each

side of the structure

would feature grooves

to permit the addition

of an infinite number

of leaves so everyone

could have a place

at the table.

The Practically Perfect State of Change

Unlike Mary Poppins, most of us are not capable of being “practically perfect in every way”—or are we?

I recently gained a new insight into perfection from Karen Casey and Martha Vanceburg, who wrote, “…perfection…is not a frozen, changeless state, but…a part of our perpetual becoming.” This understanding makes perfect sense, because one thing we definitively know about God is that God embodies change, for God is always creating something new. Perhaps, then, our definition of perfection has been wrong all along: What if, Instead of being something static that can’t be improved upon, perfection is actually a state of willingness to embrace the constant change that is part of life and death? If that is the case, then “Being perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect” means accepting and even reveling in the changes that come with loving, forgiving, creating, and dying to self.

Facing change sometimes seems daunting, but our bodies know very well how to do it—every second an untold number of our cells are dying and new ones are being generated. Although we aren’t aware of it, within a period of seven years or so, every cell in our body has been replaced. To be human, and to fulfill God’s purpose, is to change. And no matter what that change looks like, accepting it leads us to a state of perfection—you might even say, “being practically perfect in every way.”