Paul's Third Inner Attitude

Praise is Paul's third inner attitude. 

Paul continued those marvelous praises that are part of the Jewish tradition of blessings. He knows how to expand them to encompass everything that concerns the life of the community in Christ. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places' (Ephesians 1:3)

Martini tells us that we know from Paul's letters that his prayer consists first of all of praise."

Now, the grace we need to ask God for is that these three attitudes of Paul become habitual in us. So let us reflect today how we are manifesting joy and inner peace, gratitude, and praise in our daily lives. Lent is coming and we may see that we need to take one of these attitudes to practice during Lent if we have not yet been transformed as Paul was.

Paul's Second Attitude after his Transfiguration

Gratitude is the second attitude that Cardinal Martini speaks of with regard to Paul's transfiguration. This inner attitude is his capacity for gratitude. He exhorted his people to thank the Father with joy (see Col 1:11-12). It is typical of Paul to combine joy with gratitude, thanksgiving.
Paul's Letters begin with thanksgiving. "Grace to you and peace. We give thanks to God always for you all." (1Thessolonians 1:1-2).
Paul had the capacity always to see the good first. Beginning every letter with thanks means that he knows how to value primarily the positive in whatever community he is writing to, even if there are some weighty, negative things that will need to be said. He had the ability to see the good that is present and to express it with simplicity.
Tomorrow we will take up Paul's third inner attitude.

Paul's Transfiguration

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, SJ, writes of three attitudes that show Paul's transfiguration. He also speaks of two modes of action which I will talk about tomorrow. I think this has made a big impact on me because I am reflecting on how I manifest the same in my own life.

The first attitude is joy and inner peace. Paul had an overflowing joy. This joy comes from God; he could not possess it on his own. (See 2 Cor 4:8-10) "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed but not driven to despair... so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies."

This is true joy that deals with every kind of burden.

I think I will stop here today and continue with Paul's second attitude tomorrow.

Transfiguration

The book I have been reading is The Gospel According to St. Paul: Meditations on His Life and Letters, by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, SJ and translated by Marsha Daigle-Williamson, PhD. It was translated in 2008, but I had not read it and I love Cardinal Martini's writings.
What struck me most was Chapter 3 on the Transfiguration of Paul. 
We are to reflect on Paul's transfiguration that his inner purification led to in order to meditate on our own transfiguration. Martini's first point is the transfiguration of Christ. Jesus was transformed. Paul will write to the Corinthians that "with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord are being changed (transfigured) into his likeness...for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Cor 3:18)
The same word that Luke uses for the change in the garments of Christ is used to describe the light Paul saw at his conversion.
I will continue tomorrow with my notes on the attitudes of Paul that help us to see his transfiguration.

Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

  Every Sunday the Church has a special request found in the Collect for the Mass. This Sunday, "grant, we pray, Almighty God, that, always pondering spiritual things, we may carry out in both word and deed that which is pleasing to you."

Despite the way it is worded, it is a great petition and makes me think of how I am carrying out in both word and action what pleases Jesus. Maybe the secret is that we are to be always pondering spiritual things!

I have been pondering some great thoughts on transfiguration and will start sharing them tomorrow. 

Visual Imagination

This picture just appeared so I am using it for a little reflection with my imagination. There are several images in this picture that could serve for reflection. First, there is the cottage with lights in the windows, a welcoming sign. Then there is the bridge that one needs to reach the other side, and finally there is the stream of living water. Those are the images that draw my attention, but you may contemplate the path, of the rocks, or the distant trees...the point is that a picture can trigger all sorts of thoughts and lead us into prayer. Take some time with this one.

Home and Happy

I am home again and loving this month that has had two vacations while recovering from pneumonia. I am thinking of George Washington today but Our Lady seemed to be on my mind as I read that Jesus renewed the covenant when He said "Behold your son; behold your mother."

I am seeing George Washington and his wife from a different angle as I am finally reading "Jefferson's Daughters" and really getting a different picture of young America.

I am still unpacking so this is short tonight.

The Jesuits open Canonization Process

Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

On this Sunday we are asking that our hearts may by so fashioned by God's grace as to become dwelling places pleasing to God.

The Responsorial Psalm tells us that "Blessed are they who hope in the Lord.

The Gospel has the Beatitudes according to Luke's Gospel:

"Blessed are you who are poor, for the kingdom of God is yours. Blessed are you who are now hungry, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you who are now weeping, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude and insult you, and denounce your name as evil on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice and leap for joy on that day! Behold, your reward will be great in heaven. … and then come the woes: Woe to the rich, etc.

The reflection by Walter Burghardt in "Giving Us This Day", turns the woes around. He says that "fortunate, happy are you who are rich, rich in money or power, in talent or time, because you can do so much for the poor, can lift the yoke of the oppressed. Bus blessed only if you have the mind of the poor, the mind of Christ. Only if you recognize that you may not do what you will with what you have...."

I have not room nor time to copy all, but it is something to reflect on today about turning the woes around!                                                                                             

Ski Week

Until I came to California, I had never heard of ski week. Other schools may have Spring Break, but our school here has the entire week off and many do go skiing! Entire families ski and this year there is plenty of snow. My student went skiing during the Christmas break with his family so now is going to visit the University that has accepted him. He will go with his Dad and spend some time with relatives, too.

I was invited to go away with the same Religious that I gave the retreat to last June at the condo lent us my the Sisters of Mercy; we enjoyed being there so much that we plan to leave today and stay until next Thursday. I will try to schedule my blog ahead. 

Everyone has been telling me to slow down so I am trying to do this. Nothing really spiritual about this blog, but I am preparing for tomorrow.

Open my eyes, Lord...

Another picture taken from inside at Lake Tahoe by me.

Here is another prayer given to me; it is by Alan Paton.

"O Lord,

open my eyes that I may see the needs of others;

open my ears that I may hear their cries;

open my heart so that they need not be without succor.

Let me not be afraid to defend the weak because of the anger of the strong,

nor afraid to defend the poor because of the anger of the rich.

Show me where love and hope and faith are needed,

and use me to bring them to those places.

And so open my eyes and my ears

that I may this coming day be able to do some work of peace for Thee.

Amen.

Happy Valentine's Day

A very Happy Valentine's Day to all. I keep thinking of that day fifty-nine years ago when I arrived in Chile from Rome.  It was a long flight and we arrived late. There was not much to remember about the flight except that we were very hot in our habits with sweaters underneath as Rome was so cold and we arrived in summer in Chile. I was touched to see that the two who had come to meet us at the airport that night were the Superior Vicar and the Mistress of Novices. We returned to Maestranza, the first convent we built in Chile with some 13 different patios as it had housed a boarding school, a normal school, a poor school, a large community, and numerous works.

I have been writing Valentines for our different groups of staff plus some individuals and it is such a good way to thank them for all they do for us. We are short of help and some have even taken double shifts to be able to care for us. I am in Westwood so we do not see or need help except for cleaning and one or two may need something else, but many in Oakwood need help to go to bed and then get dressed in the morning. Actually, I think Valentine's Day is a great day for expressing gratitude for God's love, our love for one another, and love for all of creation.