May God be ever near

I came across this verse somewhere and it stayed in my head: "May all your wishes come true and every dream be found. May God be ever near and joy be all around."

Since God is ever near, it is nice to realize, too, that joy is all around.

In the first reading from Acts today, Peter brings back from the dead Tabitha. He does this by prayer and then just said, "Tabitha, rise up." Before this, in the same reading, Peter has cured Aeneas who had been confined to bed for eight years because he was paralyzed. Peter simply said to him, "Aneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed." When we have faith in Jesus, we can work wonders. Let us pray for the gift of faith to be able to use it to make the world a better place.

I want to share a quote from St. Madeleine Sophie from a conference she gave for the Feast of Pentecost in 1827 - "Now these persons about whom I have been speaking have found the secret of touching hearts; as they are no longer on the lookout for their own advantage, they do not even desire to do good; rather they have only one desire: to follow the impulse of the Holy Spirit. As to good or poor success, they calmly leave that to God...Let us call on the Spirit, therefore, so that she can fill us with her gifts."
It is always a good thing to call on the Spirit and desire to have her gifts!

New Books

My office and my room at home are overflowing with books, but I could not resist buying a few more. One is John Main. Essential Writings with an Introduction by Laurence Freeman. It is one of the Modern Spiritual Masters Series by Orbis and I have the 5th printing, 2006. It looks really good with the story of his life, then his writings and some wonderful short quotes at the end. Then, I bought Timothy Gallagher's The Examen Prayer: Ignatian Wisdom for Our Lives Today. Crossroad, 2006. It looks very helpful and practical with lots of the experience of others included in how to make this prayer a really important part of our daily life. The third book is by Thomas Rausch, S.J. An 8 Day Ignatian Retreat for Priests, Religious, Deacons, and Lay Ministers. Paulist Press, 2008. I looked it over and think it could be very useful outside of retreat as well as using the chapters in a retreat. He is writing for ministers and has some good reflection questions. As I have just received these three, I am not reviewing the books but only telling you that I shall be reading them and they look like they are going to be excellent spiritual reading.

Living Water

Jesus tells us that "no one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him..."

The Father draws us to Jesus; on our own, we cannot connect with the Lord. It is a grace given to us by God. It is not our own doing. We are drawn to Jesus. There is, according to the Little White Book, a pull, an internal movement toward Christ. As a deer seeks water...God has put this "pull" in me to draw me. Have I sensed it? How do I respond? Do I desire to jump into the pool and find Jesus no matter what the obstacles? Or do I resist? Augustine told us, "Our hearts were made for you, O God, and they will not rest until they rest in you."

Here is a quote I like from St. Madeleine Sophie: "Go on advancing, you are on the true road. Remember, it is not you who have taken it, but God who has placed you there.

Jesus "rose" or "was raised"?

I was happy to find a rather satisfying explanation for the question I have often been asked about why the scripture passage says that Jesus "was raised" from the dead when we also speak of Jesus "rising" from the dead. The Little White Book says that both are true. It is a question of whether Jesus is being looked at from the point of view of his humanity, or from the point of view of his divinity. On the one hand, Jesus was not simply god masquerading in a human body. In his humanity, he became truly one of us - "tested in every way, but without sin" (Heb 4:15). As one of us, Jesus placed himself in dependence on the Father, trusting that the Father would bring him through death to glory.
On the other hand, it was the Second Person of the Trinity who took flesh, and Jesus could say, "The Father and I are one."
Thinking about Jesus as the Bread of life, brings to mind all the "I statements" that Jesus says in John's Gospel. Jesus is not only talking about who he is but what he does for us. Some of these sayings are:
I am the light of the world.
I am the good Shepherd.
I am the resurrection and the life.
I am the way, the truth, and the life.
I am the vine, you are the branches.

Take time to go over the above statements and hear Jesus saying each to you personally.

"I am the Bread of life"

Jesus said, "I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me with never thirst."
How, if Jesus is the Bread of life, does he nourish me? The "give us our daily bread" may have new meaning when thinking of Jesus as the Bread of life!

I was reading in Albert Nolan's Jesus Today about what we need to do to live as Jesus did. Nolan says that busyness is the supreme distraction. He goes on to show how Jesus had a profound need for silence and solitude. For us, "Regular periods of solitude and silence are indispensable." We need inner silence above all as "inner silence switches off the inner stream of thoughts, images, and feelings. Without this, authentic spirituality and spiritual transformation would not be possible."
Meditation is a way of calming the mind and heart as well as the body. It is a way of arriving at inner silence. Let us meditate!

Joy, Rain, Alleluias!

In spite of the rain (we need it but had a real storm last night with thunder and lots of lightning and it seems to be continuing in a soft drizzle), I feel like shouting, "This is the day the Lord has made! Rejoice and be glad! Alleluia! Alleluia!"
Actually, today is the Ceremony of graduation for my Online International Certificate Program in Spirituality Studies. This is the third group to graduate from the two-year program and I am sure that Jesus is rejoicing in these students. They have not only learned how others have sought and found God through the centuries, but they have been seeking and finding god in their own lives. They have been transformed and go forth to encourage others to believe in God's action in our daily lives.
The Little White Book tells us for April 7 that ten years ago the Bishop of Saginaw, Michigan, decreed that any meeting "whatever its purpose, no matter how few or how many people are involved, shall have as its first agenda item, an open discussion of this question: "What does it mean that the Spirit is present in what we are about?"
If we followed this decree our lives would be transformed. Let us live today in the Spirit of Jesus, Alleluia! Alleluia!

Disciples on Way with Jesus walking with them

I love the story of Jesus walking with the two disciples who do not recognize him. Jesus drew near to them and just "walked with them" and asked them, "What are you discussing as you walk along?"
Cleopas,(the other disciple we do not know the name of but it could have been his wife) asks Jesus if he is the only visitor to Jerusalem who doesn't know what has taken place. Jesus asks, "What sort of things?" He wants them to tell him so he can show them how the Scriptures have indicated what did come to pass. Then, when they reach their village, Jesus gave the impression that he was going on, but they urged him to stop saying, "Stay with us, for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So Jesus goes in with them to a simple Sunday night supper. They recognize him in the breaking of the bread. Then Jesus vanishes from their sight and they are filled with energy and retrace their steps the seven miles to Jerusalem to tell the others "what had taken place on the way and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread."
When we recognize Jesus in our daily life, we feel more energy; we want to spread the good news. Let us remember that we can always find Jesus in the Eucharist! He waits for us.

At Sea With God at Dawn

I think this scene is helpful for beginning my morning prayer - I love the idea of setting sail with Jesus and letting the Lord plan my day and be with me in the boat. He is the captain and I am crew and we are going to do all today together and let the wind carry us along.
I have been planning the graduation ceremony for my Online International Certificate Program in Spirituality Studies which will be this Monday. Ten are graduating and five excellent students will still be in the Program in September. I hope to have a really good new batch of students to join them, but I must say that this last group has been one of the most hard-working, intelligent, creative groups that I have ever had the privilege of teaching. They have not only studied how others have sought and found God through the centuries, but they have been seeking and finding God in their own lives. I hope to tell them that on Monday. The ceremony will be videotaped and up on the University website hopefully as soon as possible.
Today's Gospel is special for me. It has Jesus coming to the disciples on the sea. They are afraid but he calls out, "It is I. Do not be afraid." John tells us that they wanted to take Jesus into the boat, but the boat immediately arrived at the shore to which they were heading. I have often heard Jesus say to me, "It is I. Do not be afraid." It is a grace to thank for and I do, but I like having Jesus in the boat with me. He likes to be invited so I urge you to invite him to sail with you today!

At Sea With God

I received Margaret Silf's latest book, At Sea With God last night and found myself reflecting on what it means to be At Sea with God. She asks us to think of what kind of a boat we are?
I do not know how to sail, but I am sure that I must be a sailboat. I depend on the wind of the Holy Spirit to carry me across the water. Really, I have not had time to read much, but here are the Chapter Headings:
The Boat; The Cargo and the Crew; Setting Sail; Navigating the High Seas; Perils of the Deep; Going Nowhere; and Dropping Anchor--Moving On. You could almost use your own imagination to fill in the Chapters! I did turn to the back (always consult the bibliography) and noticed the last sentences of the book. I liked them enough to quote them here: When we are ready to voyage beyond the horizon, it won't matter any more that the boat falls apart. We will have learned to trust the immensity of the ocean of God's love.
I am adding the book to the list I keep on the right side of this blog.

"He does not ration his gift of the Spirit" (Jn 3:32)

I am using the Little White Book today for my blog as I was struck with what Bishop Ken Untener said about the generosity of Jesus. Ken died in 2004 but the Little Books with six minute meditations based on his writings keep appearing so that people have a help for prayer. Today's meditation is on this passage from today's Gospel of John 3:31-36:
Jesus said: "The one whom god sent speaks the words of God. He does not ration his gift of the Spirit. The Father loves the Son and has given everything over to him. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life."
That phrase catches one's eye: "He does not ration his gift of the Spirit."
Jesus isn't miserly with his gifts. He's like a grandmother serving up a Thanksgiving dinner, with enough food for an army.
We see his bountiful generosity everywhere in the Gospels. Look at John's Gospel alone. At Cana, Jesus doesn't dole out the wine (and good wine at that). He provides over 20 gallons. In the miracle of the loaves, 12 basketfuls are left over. When the disciples can't catch an fish, he miraculously provides not a pail-full, but over 150 fish. And when the woman anointed Jesus at Bethany with costly perfumes oil (over 300 days' wages worth), he defends her largesse.
No, Jesus isn't miserly. Neither is his Father who gave his only Son. Neither is the Holy Spirit who floods God's life upon us.
God doesn't dole out gifts on the basis of quantity or even the quality of the recipient: "He makes his sun rise on the bad and the good, and causes rain to fall on the just and the unjust."
The Easter season is one long celebration of God's goodness. Today's time with the Lord might well be a time of thank-you's. It's a beautiful, easy (and sometimes overlooked) way to pray.
Now, just spend some quiet time with Jesus thanking him for his generosity.

Peaceful Scene

Sometimes I just want to reflect without words on a picture. Looking at the lake amid the mountains gives me a sense of peace. I am feeling disorganized today and yet know that I need to get many things done but I want to do them in peace. We hurry too much and Easter season is a call to slow down and walk with Jesus.
On another note, can you believe that John Paul II died on this day in 2005? It does not seem that long, but much has happened in the past three years. I am beginning to reflect back on the past academic year as I sent in my grades and, after the Online Program graduation ceremony on Monday, will be concentrating on the new course for September.
There is always much to thank for and I am going to make a division in my Journal for "Gratitude" and try to thank for something everyday. A grateful person is a joyful person! Try it!

One heart and one mind...

Today's reading from the Acts of the Apostles begins with the sentence, "The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common."
Religious of the Sacred Heart have as our motto, One heart and one mind and the initials are carved on the cross we wear to remind us of our Cor Unum et Anima unum.
Community is formed by living together, sharing, praying, and becoming one heart and one mind. Since we are all very different individuals, it does not mean that we need to agree on many things, but that deep down we do have one heart and one mind because we share the same charism and mission.
Right now, many of us are reflecting on the transformation of religious life today and the challenges that face us. As long as we remain a community of believers and are of one heart and mind, I have no fear. God knows the future and is opening the life of religious communities to meet the needs of today's world. Associates are springing up all over the world who want to share in our "one heart and one mind."
It is an exciting time to live! Let us trust God and let God lead us into the future.