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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture

Holy Ground.

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The 4th word in my Lent Lexicon is

HOLY GROUND

I’m reflecting on the encounter between God and Moses at the burning bush. There are certain places that we think of as “holy”. There are places we go to deliberately to seek God. It might be a church or a prayer room, or a corner of our house that we use as a prayer space. There can also be places outside where we feel it is easier to connect with God. We sometimes call these “thin places”, they are often places of great natural beauty.

Moses is in the midst of a very ordinary activity on an ordinary day. He’s not in any place that’s officially marked as holy or religious or anywhere particularly beautiful. It’s in the ordinary that God reaches out to Moses, using his curiosity about the “strange sight” of the burning bush to draw him into a conversation. As soon as Moses draws close God call out to him:

“Take off your shoes…for the place on which you stand is holy ground.”

We too stand on holy ground. Whatever we are involved in we’re in the presence of God. Lent gives us the opportunity to reflect on what that means in today’s fragmented world. God offers Moses a promise and a challenge. The promise is that God will be with him whatever he faces. God also challenge him to go out of his comfort zone in ways he could never have imagined. We also receive that promise and are challenged to move beyond the boundaries where we feel safe and comfortable.

Where are you being invited to discover the promise & challenge of holy ground in your life this Lent?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Divine Office Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

Fasting, a Lent challenge.

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The third word in my Lent lexicon is:

“FAST”

Often the first question anyone asks us about Lent is “what are you giving up? Fasting carries a heavy weight of history and of personal experience. This can make it a particularly sensitive issue. It can be an area that’s open to judgement and misinterpretation. It’s a word I find challenging and I’m coming to it with some trepidation.

I find St Benedict’s chapter on Lent helpful in facing the challenge. Instead of prescribing a particular fast for everyone he gives a list of things that we might fast from, food, drink, sleep, talking, idle jesting. He openly acknowledges that people have varying needs and capabilities. He knows that what might be manageable for one isn’t possible for another. His words carry a call not to judge ourselves or others harshly, allow people the freedom to choose the “fast” that will most help them on their spiritual journey.

In today’s first reading the prophet Isaiah gives another perspective on fasting:

“Is not this the sort of fast that pleases me – it is the Lord who speaks –to break unjust fetters and undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke, to share your bread with the hungry, and shelter the homeless poor, to clothe the person you see to be naked and not turn from your own kin? Then will your light shine like the dawn and your wound be quickly healed over.”

While this is deeply challenging it is also helpful. It reminds me that our spiritual practices have to have a knock-on effect in the way we live our lives. They are not just for our personal benefit.

They are to draw us out of ourselves towards our neighbour, to help us become kinder and more compassionate. It seems to me that as Isaiah calls us to fast from the thoughts and behaviours that would harden our hearts to those around us.

How are your Lent practices helping you to become kinder and more compassionate?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture Uncategorized

Choosing Life.

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The second word in my Lent lexicon is:

LIFE

I have to confess that “life” has never been the first word that comes to mind when I think about Lent. Yet, the the Anglo-Saxon root of the English word “Lent” can be translated as “spring” and that brings to mind all the new life connected with that time of year. Already when we start our Lent journey new life is pushing its way up through the earth.

We are surrounded by spring flowers and the beginnings of new growth wherever we look. On another level the whole purpose of Lent is to prepare our hearts to celebrate the joy of the resurrection, and there is no more a life-giving gift than that.

Today’s first reading echoes the theme of “life” as Moses offers the people a choice. He says to them:

“I set before you life or death, blessing or curse. Choose life then, so that you and your descendants may live in the love of the Lord your God, obeying his voice, clinging to him; for in this your life consists…”

In many ways his words sum up the purpose of Lent. All our Lent practices aim to bring us back to God, the source of all life so that we can live in God’s presence and shape our life by God’s love. The gift of life however does not come automatically.

As Moses points out we have to actively choose what is life-giving. On the surface that seems easy, but it is not always that straightforward. Often, at the outset at least the life denying choice appears easier or more comfortable, while the life-giving choice can feel harder and more challenging.

Our Lent practices help us discern what is truly life giving. They can help us decide what we have to let go of so that the things that are truly life giving can find the space to flourish and grow.

How are your Lent practices helping you to choose life this Lent?

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Ash Wednesday Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Scripture Uncategorized

Ash Wednesday

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One of the most helpful books I’ve read is “Amazing Grace, a vocabulary of faith.” By Kathleen Norris. She describes it as “an exploration and record of some of the words in the Christian lexicon that most trouble and attract me.”

The book reminded me of an important Benedictine principle, that words matter. They shape us, form us, challenge us and help us grow.

So this Lent I’ve decided to make myself a Lent lexicon. I’m going to explore some of the words we commonly hear in Lent. I’ve chosen words that attract and sometimes scare me. They also both shape and challenge my experience of Lent.

Ashes

Ashes mark the beginning of our Lent journey. With a small, but significant physical sign we give a powerful message about the significance of this time. The Ashes seem to me to be a signal of intent for the season of Lent. There are many ways that intention could be stated, it will vary from person to person and from year to year. But whatever variations it has I generally find that this verse expresses them all:

“O that today you would listen to his voice, harden not your hearts.”

It’s the first thing we sing on Ash Wednesday, and whatever Lent practices I choose this verse sums up their purpose and intent. Lent practices help us to move away from the clutter that disguises our hardheartedness. They invite us to allow our hearts to become vulnerable and open to receive the Word of God.

Ashes remind us of that intention and of our limitations. As we receive the ashes we hear one of these verses:

“Turn away from sin and be faithful to the gospel.”

Or

“Remember that you are dust, and to dust you will return.”

Our Lent journey starts with high hopes. These verses bring us back down to earth. We are created from the stuff of the earth, that is both a humbling and liberating thought. In a world that sets impossibly high standards it allows us the freedom to accept our limitations.

As we journey through Lent our good intentions will get battered and even fall by the wayside. The ashes are a reminder that this is simply part of being human. We can fall, and get up and try again.

How are you being called to open your heart to God’s voice this Ash Wednesday?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Lectio Divina Saints Scripture Uncategorized

Keeping hope alive.

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We’re living in times that could easily tempt us to give up. The principles that underpin our societies seem to be shifting. Things that we thought were certain and essential for the smooth running of our communities and nations appear to be dissolving before our eyes. We’ve no idea how things will develop, but there’s a general feeling that outcomes are less than likely to be positive. We’re living with seemingly ever increasing levels of uncertainty and anxiety.

In such times we can easily give in to despair. We can feel powerless and that everything is pointless and beyond our control. It can make even the possibility of hope seem, at best, naïve and unrealistic.

In his first letter to the Corinthians St Paul takes a different approach as he calls us to never give up. He writes:

“Never give in then, my dear people, never admit defeat; keep on working at the Lord’s work always, knowing that, in the Lord, you cannot be labouring in vain.”

St Paul was no stranger to adverse circumstances, nor were the Corinthians. Knowing some of the situations he faced I can imagine that he was also tempted by despair. He knew suffering, frustration & disappointment. Through them all he was able to keep his eyes firmly on Christ. He trusted that, however hard life was, however little effect his work seemed to have, Christ would bring it to fruition. In our challenging time his message not to give up has an added resonance. We too are called to carry on working to bring about the Kingdom in whatever way we can.

Where is Christ calling you to keep trusting his promise today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

Taking risks

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We live with an almost constant temptation to divide the world into “them” and “us”. Although the criteria for each group might change according to circumstances we seem to have a natural tendency to want to stick with the people we perceive as being “like us” and distancing ourselves from those we think of as “other”.

This is especially true in challenging and unsettling times. When life feels threatening we tend to stay with what feel safe and to become more judgemental about anyone or anything that doesn’t fit our image of how things should be.

Today’s gospel sees the disciples falling into exactly this trap. When they see someone from outside of their group casting out devils in Jesus’ name and try put a stop to it. The response they get from Jesus is a surprise for them and for us. Instead of commending their diligence he says to them:

“You must not stop them: no one who works a miracle in my name is likely to speak evil of me. Anyone who is not against us is for us.”

His words are a challenge for the disciples and for us. He invites us to expand our horizons, and to reach out beyond our comfort zones. It’s a call that’s at the heart of the gospel. It brings to mind St Benedict’s instruction to welcome guests as we would welcome Christ.

It’s a challenge to be openhearted and to give others the benefit of the doubt. It’s an invitation to discover the best in others. In these difficult and frightening times to call we need to respond to more than ever.

Where is Christ inviting you to move out of your comfort zone today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Scripture

Love and Compassion.

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Today’s gospel goes to the very heart of what it is to be a Christian, the call to love and compassion. We all know the importance of love, how it can shape and form us. We all have some experience of how it’s lack can undermine and damage us.

We know that love is not always easy, it requires us to put ourselves aside, to think first of what would be best others. To do that with those most intimately connected to us, our families, our friends, those who think and live like us can be hard and challenging enough. Yet Jesus tells us that to love those who love us is not enough. He tells his disciples:

“Love your enemies and do good, and lend without any hope of return. You will have a great reward, and you will be children of the Most High, for God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked.”

It’s a call to love as God loves, going beyond our limited human ways. This seems to put the call to love into the category of almost impossible. If we struggle to love those who love us how can we ever learn to love those who would harm or hurt us? Jesus goes on to answer this question:

“Be compassionate as your Father is compassionate. Do not judge, and you will not be judged yourselves; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned yourselves; grant pardon, and you will be pardoned.”

It’s still a hard call, especially in our harsh times. In so many areas hate and mistrust seem to be gaining the upper hand in our communities and societies. In such times this call is even more important. “Be compassionate” Jesus says, calling us to risk being open, vulnerable, and giving others the benefit of the doubt.

Where are you being called to love your enemy today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture Uncategorized

Putting on the mind of Christ.

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There’s an undeniable tension between human thinking and God’s thinking. It comes up again and again in Scripture. From Isaiah to St Paul we hear a version of God’s word to Isaiah:

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts and your ways are not my ways…”

In today’s gospel we see this principle played out in practice between Jesus and Peter. Peter is horrified by Jesus’ teaching that the Son of Man was destined to be rejected, suffer, die and rise again. He takes Jesus aside and remonstrates with him.

We don’t really know what Peter’s motivation was. He may have been shocked that the image of the Messiah Jesus presented wasn’t the one he’d been expecting. He might have been scared about where this path might lead himself and the other disciples. He may have been worried about the reaction of the disciples to such a stark message.

We do know that Jesus’ response is a rebuke and a challenge:

“He rebuked Peter and said to him, ‘Get behind me, Satan! Because the way you think is not God’s way but the human way.’”

Jesus’ words challenge us as much as they do Peter. They remind us that, in following him we are to strive to align our hearts and minds with God’s way of thinking. It’s a call to be kind and compassionate, to give people the benefit of the doubt and not to judge. In these unsettling times that’s more important than ever.

What does it mean for you to “put on the mind of Christ” in your life today?

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Beatitudes Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

Living the Beatitudes.

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Beautiful and inspiring as they are the beatitudes are one of the most challenging texts in Scripture. They turn all our expectations of life on their heads. They detail the whole range of human experience. We all know the experience of mourning and weeping. We all experience poverty of some sort, whether physical, spiritual or emotional. We all know hunger in some way, whether that’s physical hunger or an inner spiritual hunger. We have all been mocked, excluded and derided.

When caught up in the experience of these things our first thought is not likely to be that we are blessed. The challenge of the beatitudes is that the things Jesus calls blessed we tend to see as, at best, misfortune:

“Happy are you when people hate you, drive you out, abuse you, denounce your name as criminal, on account of the Son of Man. Rejoice when that day comes and dance for joy, for then your reward will be great in heaven.”

The blessing comes, not in the circumstances themselves, but in the fact that whatever we are going through, God is with us, transforming the experience by God’s ever present love. That is not an excuse for those of us who are are not experiencing, poverty, hunger, mourning or exclusion to walk away from those who are.

It can be tempting to think that we can leave their situation to God. That is never the way of the gospel. If we want to live a life based on the beatitudes we are called to reach out to those in need, to offer support, to share what we have, to alleviate suffering in whatever way we can.

Where are you being called to live the beatitudes in your life today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Scripture

Choice & discernment

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Today’s gospel is a call to look within ourselves, to explore the things that motivate us, to pay attention to condition of our hearts. It’s a call to discernment. Jesus says to his disciples:

‘Listen to me, all of you, and understand. Nothing that goes into a person from outside can make them unclean; it is the things that come out of a person that makes them unclean. If anyone has ears to hear, let them listen to this.’

When life is uncomfortable and challenging it’s easy to look outside ourselves for the reason. We blame circumstances, other people or the situations we find ourselves in. Without denying that there may be things in all of these areas that need to change, Jesus also points us to the real source of our lives. It is what is within us that shapes us. It’s the condition of our hearts that draws us towards good or bad.

Jesus invites us to look within, to examine the motivations of our hearts. His words echo the book of Deuteronomy and it’s call to choose life:

“I have set before you life and death, blessing and curse; therefore choose life, that you and your descendants may live…”

In offering us life Jesus asks us to discern the things within that would draw us towards life. He asks us to nurture those things and to turn away from the things that would lead us away from life, those things that injure us and others.

His call to to discover the best within ourselves and to bring that to our encounters and interactions. To do this we need to put aside the judgement, envy, pride & malice that would draw us away from all that is life giving.

Where is Christ calling you to listen & discern today?