Category: Gospel

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Holy Week Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Palm Sunday Scripture Uncategorized

The call of steadfast love.

© Ally Barrett (www.reverendally.org) and used by permission

BACKGROUND READING: PSALM 118 AND MARK 11:1-11

The first woman of Holy Week is Miriam. She is practical and down to earth. She doesn’t like living under Roman occupation but realises that her family’s well-being relies on her finding a way to live with it. She lives in Sephorris where she and her family make a good living as fish traders. They have travelled to Jerusalem to celebrate the festival.

She comes to this festival with mixed feelings. She loves the sense of togetherness and hope that the festival brings, but hates the jostling and disagreements that come with being part of a large and excited crowd.

A woman of deep faith she lives with the hope and expectation that the Messiah will come and set her people free. As she walks with the rest of the crowd she carries the image of the Messiah, weary, exhausted and quietly triumphant, riding towards Jerusalem. She puts her whole heart and soul into singing:

“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good: his steadfast love endures for ever.”

Then she sees a surprising sight. Two people bring a donkey and a man got onto it, riding it she says “just like I always imagined the King would have done – except that it was a donkey and not that impressive”.

A little impatient with the gesture she initially him as another “wannabe Messiah”. Something in the man’s demeanour compels her to look again. It’s then that she sees past the externals and recognises the Messiah at the centre of this unlikely scene.

Where is Christ calling you to recognise his steadfast love in unexpected places this Holy Week?

You can listen to Paula Gooder read Miriam’s story here:

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Divine Office Gospel Holy Week Lectio Divina Lent Palm Sunday Prophetic voices Psalms Scripture Uncategorized

Women of Holy Week

Photo by Rebecca Peterson-Hall on unsplash.com

From Palm Sunday I’ll be using Paula Gooder’s book “Women of Holy Week” as the basis of my prayer. They tell the stories of ordinary women, some we know from the gospels, though their stories are not elaborated there. Others are not mentioned in the gospel, but it’s possible that someone like them was there in the crowd.

All of their lives were touched and changed, either by encountering Jesus on his journey through Holy Week and Easter or by hearing about him. from others. I will include a link to Paula’s audio reflection at the end of each day’s post.

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Prayer Scripture

Overshadowing

Photo by Alex Wigan on unsplash.com

Today celebrating the feast of the Annunciation I’m struck by the mixture of calm, serenity, and chaos that it portrays. It’s generally depicted in art and literature as a beautiful moment of calm encounter between Gabriel and Mary, between heaven and earth, leading to Mary’s act of obedience.

That is certainly one aspect of the gospel, but as I reflected on it today I’m very aware that there is also another side to it. The news the angel brings to Mary must have been both surprising and overwhelming to a young, unmarried woman who was not expecting to become pregnant.

It must have seemed to her that she was facing at best a challenge and at worst a disaster. Yet in the midst of the upheaval she was able to find a way through the chaos to say yes. I’m especially struck by the angel’s response when she asks, “How can this be?” He replies:

“The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you…”

His words take me back to the Spirit hovering over the waters at Creation drawing life out of chaos. That’s a comforting image image in these times when so much of our world seems to teeter on the brink of chaos.

In our dark and frightening times this image offers hope and encouragement. I find it helpful to remember that however chaotic our situation the Spirit hovers, overshadowing us and promising new life.

Where do you need the Spirit’s overshadowing in your life this Lent?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Resurrection Scripture Uncategorized

Invitations and conversations.

Photo by Harli Marten on unsplash.com

As I’ve listened to the Sunday Gospels over the past few weeks I’ve been struck by the themes of revelation and recognition that have gone hand-in-hand. As the stories of the Samaritan woman, and the blind man unfolded it seemed to me that this process has come about through challenging and honest conversations between Jesus and those he encounters. Those conversations required deep thought, honest reflection and an openness to change.

This week, as we encounter Martha grieving for her brother, that pattern continues. Martha, a follower of Jesus already, is clearly a woman of faith, used to the theological reflection and conversation.

She is capable of standing her ground with Jesus, and even of questioning him. She is also capable of allowing his response to transform her whole life. It is through their hard, challenging conversation that Jesus is both revealed and recognised as Christ:

“I am the resurrection and the life. If anyone believes in me, even though the day they will live, and whoever lives and believes in me will never die.”

Central as this revelation is it is not enough by itself, and he requires a response from Martha, asking her:

“Do you believe this?”

The recognition of her response completes the revelation as she proclaims:

“Yes Lord… I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, the one who was to come into this world.”


I’m left wondering about the implications of this for our own conversations with Jesus. If we are to come to the life changing recognition that Jesus is the Christ we too have to risk engaging in challenging conversations with him, acknowledging our uncertainties and allowing his revelation to transform our lives.

Where is Christ calling you into conversation with him this Lent?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Prophetic voices Saints Scripture

St Joseph

Photo by Nijwam Swargiary on unsplash.com

Today is the feast of St Joseph. On the surface he seems a shadowy figure. A background figure in the gospel who supports Mary and the child Jesus and brings stability and respectability to an otherwise difficult situation. Yet, if we look beyond that image we find a different story. I’m reflecting on these words from a hymn for his feast:

“His love was humble, flame of God’s own fire,
A light to guide the path he trod alone;
Like Abraham, like Moses he believed,
And went in faith to find a land unknown.”

They speak not of a shadowy figure, but of a man of great faith, courage, humility and trust. He follows in the line of Abraham and Moses who left everything to follow God into the unknown.

When we think of the blessing of welcoming, we think in positive terms. St Joseph shows us that we’re sometimes called to welcome circumstances that are difficult or challenging. Drawing on the faith of his ancestors when his life and expectations are completely turned upside down St Joseph is able to put himself in God’s hands, trusting that God will lead and guide him. It can’t have been an easy choice, it will have required both humility and courage.

It’s impossible to think of this without reflecting on the seemingly insurmountable challenges our world faces today, both at home and abroad. As we see lives disrupted and communities destroyed by war St Joseph becomes a valuable role model.

He reminds us that however dark and uncertain our lives, we are called to put ourselves into the hands of God who will lead us through the darkness into the light of his love.

What gives you the courage to trust yourself to God today?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Prayer Prophetic voices Scripture

Christ on the margins

Photo by Vishnu Vijayakumar on unsplash.com

This week I’m reflecting on the blessing of welcoming. I’m aware of how often we’re called to recognise Christ by welcoming what we consider marginal. We see that in today’s gospel. It’s a man who is outcast, ignored and undervalued who recognises and proclaims Christ to his people.

He is the last person anyone would have expected to speak and reflect theologically. We see this in the response of his neighbours, who no longer recognise him, and in the Pharisees who refuse to accept someone so marginal can presume to teach them anything about God.

The man doesn’t crumble under their badgering questions, instead he faces them confidently, reflecting on his experience with Jesus in the light of his Jewish faith, saying to them:

“We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but God does listen to people who are devout and do his will. Ever since the world began it is unheard-of for anyone to open the eyes of someone who was born blind: if this man were not from God he couldn’t do a thing.”

As the man moves from claiming that he only knows Jesus’ name to proclaiming and worshipping him as Christ he welcomes him with a truly open heart. It may be that his marginal position helped him to recognise Jesus as the Christ, and give him the freedom to worship him.

This gospel challenges me to be attentive to those parts of myself that I push aside, allowing them to point me towards Christ in ways that I might not expect or be entirely comfortable with.

It also challenges me to be attentive to the people we marginalise today, leaving me with an uncomfortable question, would we respond any better than the Pharisees should any of them proclaim Christ to us?

How is Christ calling you welcome the marginal in your life today?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Prayer Scripture

In need of mercy.

Photo by Naassom Azevedo on unsplash.com

Today’s gospel presents a stark contrast between two men who have gone up to the temple to pray. The first is a Pharisee, the second a tax collector. The Pharisee is confident and sure of himself. He is aware of his position in the community and in his faith.

He is certain that his religious practices place him in good standing with God. He expects his prayers to be heard and responded to. He is completely unaware of any sin or failing in himself or his life

The tax collector, on the other hand, is all too aware that his job makes him a bit of an outcast in his community. He knows that it leaves him in situations that can sometimes be morally ambiguous. Unlike the Pharisee, he comes to prayer all too aware of his failings and his sin saying:

“God, be merciful to me, a sinner.”

Jesus is very clear that it was the tax collector, who knew his failings and his need of God who went home at right with God.

In telling the story to an audience that is sure of its virtue Jesus is presenting a challenge. He’s inviting them, and us, to develop a new attentiveness. He is challenging us to look beyond the surface of our religious practices.

He is asking us to be attentive to how those practices enable us to develop a more compassionate and kind heart.

How are your lent practices helping you to grow in compassion and kindness?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Scripture Uncategorized

Attentive to the call of love

Photo by Surface on unsplash.com

Today’s gospel, the conversation between Jesus and one of the Scribes, is a call to be attentive to the real essentials in life. That’s an important message for us living as we do in times of distraction and shortening attention spans. It highlights two essential aspects of faith that we’re called to be attentive to, love and respect for others.

It’s not clear if the scribe is trying to catch Jesus out on this occasion, or if he is genuinely seeking understanding. Either way, Jesus decides to take the question at face value, treating it a genuine request for greater understanding, and giving the scribe the benefit of the doubt. Having being asked by the scribe about the first of the commandments he replied:

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart…You must love your neighbour as yourself.”

It takes us back to the heart of the gospel and reminds us that love is the core of our faith. Jesus responds with love to the scribe’s question, answering sincerely and respectfully, and ending the conversation by saying:

“You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Our challenging times make it very easy to hear a criticism in every question and to respond with defensiveness or even aggression so that we lose sight of love and the relationship falters.

This draws us away from the call to love that is the heart of the gospel. Jesus shows us another way to respond, keeping his attention focussed on loving and respecting the scribe.

Where are you being called to be attentive to the call of love this Lent?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Saints Scripture

Listen with the ear of your heart.

Photo by Trung Thanh on unsplash.com

In the first reading the prophet Jeremiah calls the people to listen attentively to God’s voice and to follow God’s teaching. He writes:

“Listen to my voice, then I will be your God and you shall be my people. Follow right to the end the way that I mark out for you, and you will prosper.”

These words can only fill us with hope, and our hearts recognise that they have the potential to lead us in the way of life. Yet, even knowing that, we don’t, as Jeremiah points out, actually do it. He goes on to describe what happens to the people when they don’t listen attentively to God. Of the things he describes the one that struck me most was:

“Sincerity is no more, it has vanished from their mouths.”

It surprised me, I would never have thought of lack of sincerity as being a sign of not being attentive to the voice of God. Yet, it is undeniably an issue in our contemporary world.

We live in an openly “post truth” society that often seems to value appearances over either accuracy or trust. In every area of our lives it’s extremely difficult to work out what is true and what isn’t.

Sincerity doesn’t seem to be an attribute we value very much any more. It’s easy to assume that we can do nothing to change this, it’s simply the way the world is.

Jeremiah suggests that’s not the case, suggesting that we can grow in sincerity by listening attentively to the voice of God in all the circumstances of our lives. I can’t help wondering how that would alter our post truth society.

Where is God calling you to listen attentively for his voice this Lent?

Categories
Benedictine Spirituality Gospel Lectio Divina Lent Rule of St Benedict Scripture

Attentive to forgiveness

Photo by Eduardo Goody on unsplash.com

Today’s readings call us to be attentive to our relationships. The first reading, from the book of Daniel, call us to reflect on our relationship with God. It encourages us to be attentive to our need of God, and especially to our need for God’s mercy and compassion.

The people, having wandered far from God have realised their need of God, and return to God aware that all they have to offer is their humility and neediness. He writes:

“And now we put our whole heart into following you, into fearing you and seeking your face once more. Do not disappoint us; treat us gently, as you yourself are gentle and very merciful.”

The gospel calls us to be attentive to our relationships with one another. We soon recognise that our relationships with one another are often broken. Whatever our best intentions we end up wounding each other in a myriad of ways throughout the day. We have a real interest in Peter’s question about the limits of forgiveness.

If we’re honest, like Peter, we’d like a limit put on that forgiveness. We’d like to know there’s a point at which we can close the door on a troublesome situation. But Jesus’ response extends the limits of forgiveness, saying:

“‘Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.”

He goes on to tell a story that highlights the ways we might subvert the challenging work of forgiveness. He ends by calling us to learn to forgive as God does, from the depths of our hearts:

“Forgive your sister or brother from your heart.”

The blessing of attentiveness invites & challenges us to recreate our relationships in ways that reflect the love and compassion that God lavishes on us.

Where is Christ calling you to be attentive to your relationships this Lent?