Bring them here to me…

A friend posted this image on her Facebook page, well – the same image, a different shot. This was taken in a shelter in Mexico, La 72. It is a map that shows migrants the way, along with train tracks and danger zones, as well as shelters. The journey undertaken by immigrants is a desperate and dangerous one. Here is one article, the one where I found this image; it is from Oxfam.

There is that old video (old = May 2018) of the president calling out people as animals. Apparently he was talking about MS-13 gang members. Are they animals? Are Nazis and white supremacists animals? Are serial killers animals? I would have to say no. What I would say is that some people make horrific and heinous choices, undertake vile actions, and choose to behave in evil ways, but are they animals? No, I would not say that ever, because of my faith and my belief in the dignity inherent in all human beings. I cry and rage over those – from MS-13 to Trump and all the others making dark choices, but their dignity remains present whether or not they choose it.

Are we “full?” Not really. Are we broke? Not really, although I suspect that we will financially harmed by the current administration. If I ever hear about “tax and spend Democrats again” I may have a heart attack. We do not have the funds? I’m pretty sure that we could find them if we had the political and moral will to do so – but we lack either virtue as a nation.

Here is my little sermon for anyone left reading/listening… In Matthew 14:13 Jesus has withdrawn to a deserted place to

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Forgive, be reconciled – start with self

Forgive your neighbor the wrong done to you;
then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.
Does anyone nourish anger against another
and expect healing from the LORD?
Can one refuse mercy to a sinner like oneself,
yet seek pardon for one’s own sins?
If a mere mortal cherishes wrath,
who will forgive his sins? – Sirach 28:2-5

This morning I inexplicably looked at my phone soon after waking up but before praying. This is something that I prefer not to do as it will lead me down a rabbit hole of non-essential information and lost time – and most importantly keeps me from the quiet time of reading and prayer that begins my day.

The news blazed across social media sites… Horrific New Zealand Terrorist Attack, New Zealand shooting, Christchurch Mosque Massacres. 

Surely it is not I

La Ultima Cena (The Last Supper), The Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption of the Virgin, Cusco, Peru

Today’s Gospel from Matthew reminds us of something that we all have to deal with – our denial of Christ. No, we may not be Judas Iscariot, ready to turn Christ over for 30 pieces of silver, but we all have our moments whether we can admit it or not.

No one likes to believe that we would abandon Jesus, but we all do it in various ways, often unknown to ourselves. Little acts, moments of indifference, a lack of generosity – these are all the elements of our own “surely it is not I” moments. Then of course there are the larger things

The Sacred Triduum begins tomorrow on Holy Thursday. Because this particular line of the Gospel has been on my heart all week, I am planning on trying to be more aware of my own “not I” actions. I’m not sure how I will do, but awareness is the first step. May your days of the Triduum be blessed, and may we all see more deeply into the life that God calls us to, dying to self and rising in new life.

Invitation

I’m feeling very nostalgic for the 80’s these days. Although I was inching my way to 30 and beyond as the decade progressed, it was a time when I arced through many galaxies on the journey to becoming who I am today. And yes – without a doubt – God was woven into every element of every fiber of this time.

You may wonder why I say that… Well, I lived in the juiciest years of that decade as an executive by day, but dressed all in black and skulking around dark, smoky, loud, generally unsavory nightspots when the sun went down. I stayed out too late, I smoked too many cigarettes, I definitely drank too much. And I danced and danced and danced, imagining it happiness at the time.

There were many happy moments, but happiness was what I sought. Happiness was an elusive pursuit, always bolting around the next bend before I could grasp it. And how I tried to gather it up in clenched and greedy fists, fueled by a heart that was

Unlikely and unexpected

(Image courtesy of lovecatchmsile)

Here I am, with a simple post about today’s Gospel ready to go. It is Sunday morning, and I would like to get it ready for publishing tomorrow. No, I don’t usually think these things up at 4am and hit publish! There is typically some planning involved. Until the Holy Spirit shows up, reminding me who the boss is.

The first hint came along as I prayed early on Sunday morning, with one Advent candle illuminated before me. My December copy of Give Us This Day was open to the “Within the Word” feature that begins every week. The author of this one was Anthony Ruff, OSB, a monk of St. John’s Abbey, and an authority on liturgy and music. Fr. Ruff moderates the blog, Pray Tell.

In this reflection Fr. Ruff spoke of how the Centurion in our Gospel today, had

The Gift of Faith

Today’s Gospel from Matthew, chapter 9, verses 18-26, although short, is full of action, and a real economy of language. We hear three things that we have heard in other places at other times, but they are compacted for us here.

In the space of 8 verses we hear about an official asking for Jesus’ help with his ailing daughter, a woman suffering from hemorrhages touching Jesus and being cured, and then Jesus gets to the official’s house where he encounters a crowd acting as if the girl is dead. He dispels that notion, and they mock him. That did not deter Jesus, and he entered the house, curing the girl.

The undercurrent of the entire matter is faith, which is coincidentally the essence of the new papal encyclical, Lumen Fidei. Faith – the essence of what we need, and yet, not something that we can understand with our intellect or with reason.

Which brings me back to today’s Gospel – full of action, and not so many words. Yet, we read, we ponder, we pray, we study. I started the encyclical, but I’m going slowly. In the meantime, how do we have faith? There is a question for the ages. Yet, some of us do. I think of mine as a gift, for which I am grateful.

What is faith to you?