The More Side

Why is it that we hesitate to ask for help, not only from  God, but from others?  Is it our pride?  "I help others gladly, but I don't need help myself. I can stand on my own two feet."  Such "independence" is unfortunate, for there will come a time even in the most stalwart of us, when we can't "do it on our own." Then, in humility, we'll be forced to ask and accept help from someone else, and ultimately, God himself.
Jesus teaches about asking as if he expects us to be knocking at the door all the time and tries to convince us that there's no shame in asking, God is waiting and will answer.  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened  to you....If you, then who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask him." (Mt 7:7, 11). And even beyond that, it is more often the case than not, that he give us MORE than we asked for, such is his loving and generous heart.  If you haven't asked or have hesitated, why not give it a shot this Lent?
Bro. Rene

Turning To God's Mercy

Jesus answered the people seeking a "sign" by reminding them of the story of Jonas, the reluctant prophet sent to preach repentance in Nineveh, who sensed that his message would be heeded, that God would relent on his promise of punishment and Jonas would look like a fool for preaching destruction.  Sure enough, the people repented and God relented.  They believed more in God's mercy than in their sin.(cf. Lk 11:29-33)
And where does mercy more abide than in Jesus himself?  Jesus now is the embodiment of the "sign of Jonas", that mercy is available to those who repent and turn to him.  This is what Lent is about, a renewed reliance, a humble admission, of our need for mercy and a turning to God for it.  As he heard the plea of the Ninevites, he will hear ours, for the death and resurrection of his Son Jesus, guarantees it to those who believe. Dear God, help me to believe more in your mercy than in my sin.
Bro. Rene

Appreciating the Lord's Prayer

Every time we pray the Our Father, we are using the version given to us by St. Luke (Lk 6: 8:14).  It is concise, clear, straight to the point.  Some have learned this prayer in early childhood; others, in adulthood.  In any case, it has become so familiar that we recite it with our lips while our minds wonder to plans for the day, a game we saw or anticipate, or just anything other than what we are saying.  In so doing, we miss the wealth that is present in this short prayer. Praying it slowly, with attention to each word and phrase can help keep our attention and unlock the treasure it contains. Even the word "our" or "us" reminds us of our connection to others; it's not MY Father but OUR Father...He's there for all of US, not just me.  And who are among the US?  The rich, the poor, the healthy, the maimed, the believers, the non-believers, the searchers, the lost, the saints....on and on...ALL!
Let's take some time today to see what else we can discover, and come to appreciate this precious gift we take so much for granted.
Bro. Rene  

Lenten, Lifetime Challenges

The Greatest Commandment, love God above all else, and it's counterpart, love neighbor as self, present challenges that far exceed their easy recitation when we try to put them into practice. Both readings for today, Leviticus, 19: 1-2, 11-18, and Matthew 25:31-46 call us to a change of thinking and behaving that is really meant for our whole life, rather than just for the six weeks or Lent. We're told that to love our neighbor, we need to be people of integrity, honesty, not liars, cheaters or gossipers. We could stop right there and have plenty to work on, but Jesus takes us even further, telling us that in feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, visiting prisoners, sheltering the homeless,and caring for the sick we are actually doing these things for him.  St. Mother Teresa did this and her Sisters still do it, showing us that it can be done, but at he price of giving of our time, our penchant for control, and even our financial resources.  Talk about a Lenten (lifetime) purification!  Makes giving up chocolate or TV look very simple and even petty, as hard for us as these might be, yet doing this for the love of God and the love of neighbor gives us the motivation to stretch ourselves beyond what we think we can do.  Just Do It!
Bro. Rene  

Bothersome Temptations

We never live a day without some intrusion from the Evil One in the form of mental fantasies or enticing photos or headlines that pop up when we face our e-mail obligations.  Even Jesus was not exempt from temptations as we hear in today's graphic description of his three-fold duel with Satan who used his wiles to deflect Jesus from his mission. (Lk 4:1-13) Surely, after fasting for 40 days in the desert, he was hungry, thirsty and tired, ripe for the suggestion to turn stones into bread, or take the easy road to power and honor.  We find Jesus's response to these temptations, firm, calm and effective.  As the devil quoted Scripture, so did Jesus, as the perfect rebuttal to Satan's misuse of it.  We might learn from this encounter how to deal with our own temptations, and when befuddled as to why we are so plagued by them, we might find consolation in knowing  that the Son of God had to deal with them too, for they are part of our inheritance from the Rebellion of the Angels, and the Fall of Adam and Eve.
Bro. Rene

Rising with Levi and Jesus

Interestingly enough, something we miss in our English translation of today's gospel passage of the call of Levi (Matthew) (Lk 5:27-32), is the word "got up",  the same word (ansastasis) used to describe the Resurrection,  "And leaving his post, he got up and followed him." (Lk 5:28)
In this Lenten Season, we are preparing our hearts to celebrate Easter, Resurrection; we are attempting to leave behind the attitudes, behaviors and "clutter" that bog us down in mediocrity so that we can "get up" and follow Jesus with more zip and conviction...so that we can RISE with him.  Already, so early in Lent, our goal is before us. May we not lose sight of it.
Bro Rene

Preferred Fasting

Fasting provides challenges, opportunities, and pitfalls.  Even in the time of Isaiah, 700+ years before Christ, fasting somehow became and end in itself, a matter of fulfilling the law and led to quarreling, fighting and beating. (cf. Is 58: 4). While the pinch of deprivation, be it of food, a favorite pastime or sleep might help remove barriers that stand in the way of our relating to Jesus through prayer or service to those in need,  we need to remember that it is only worth the effort if it is bringing up the quality of our friendship with Jesus and the genuineness of our living out of our faith.  Fasting is a tool to help us do this, and should not become the main focus of our Lent.
Isaiah describes in detail some practical "fastings" that please God more than the giving up of bad or questionable habits or the performance of penance: releasing those bound unjustly, setting free the oppressed, sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked, and not turning backs on those who reach out to us. (Cf. Is 58: 6-9).  Does our Lenten regimen include some of these, or something similar?  Even to pick one such action would make our Lent worthwhile, and one that would continue after Lent is over.
Bro. Rene