Category: Lectio Divina

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

Challenged by the Cross.

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As we celebrate the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross I’m reflecting the variety of meanings that the cross carries for us. As today’s feast suggests it signifies the ultimate triumph of Christ over death.

It’s a symbol of hope, reminding us that this is not the end. It speaks of the lowest point of human suffering, ensuring us that even when we reach that point we are not alone, because our God understands that suffering completely.

We have to be honest and admit that it is also sometimes used to signify less positive and less hopeful things. We can, and have used the cross as a sign of judgement, exclusion and alienation.

That brings me to another important role that the cross has in our lives. It can act as a mirror, inviting and challenging us to reflect on how our lives measure up to the call of love which is the heart of the gospel. I’m reflecting on this from today’s gospel.

“Yes, God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not be lost but may have eternal life.”

The cross promises us that our suffering will never separate us from God’s love. The passage continues:

“For God sent his Son into the world, not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.”

We live in times that are quick to condemn and to judge, and it’s very easy to get caught up in that or even to use the cross to justify it. Today’s feast reminds us that the call of the cross is not to condemn, to bring God’s love and healing to our broken world.

How does the cross challenge you to bring God’s love and healing to your encounters?

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Beatitudes Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

The challenge of the beatitudes.

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Luke’s Beatitudes are challenging read. Unlike Matthew, whose focus is on the spiritual attributes of the Beatitudes, Luke links them much more to the grim material reality of poverty, hunger, war and the other sufferings that we inflict on one another. For those of us who live materially comfortable lives it gives them a stark urgency, showing us precisely how different the values of the kingdom are from our human values.

Almost everything he lists as blessed, we would choose to call cursed, and vice versa. His words remind me that if we are to follow Christ we have to choose to live by values that are not the world’s. We have to be prepared both to rock the boat and to live with the consequences of that:

“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.”

They have particular resonance today when we see so many lives destroyed by war, violence and economic hardship. It seems to me that they call us question a status quo that accepts such suffering as long as it’s not on our own doorstep.

They call us to look hard at our own lives, the choices we make and how they impact on other people. Their concern with the material reality of life remained us that the call to build the kingdom is not just about our heavenly future. It is a call to do all we can to make it possible for everybody to live with dignity and to flourish.

How are you allowing the challenge of the Beatitudes to shape the choices you make in daily life?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

In the loving presence of God.

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Today were celebrating the Birthday of Our Lady, a solemnity for our congregation. It’s the anniversary of the day I entered the monastery, so it carries a certain resonance for me, and I often find myself looking back to that day.

So I was especially struck by these words from our first reading at Mass:

“We know that for those who love God, everything works together for good…”

These are not the words of Scripture that would have come to mind on the day I entered. I can see the truth in them with hindsight but, I’m not sure I could have seen it on that day of mixed and sometimes conflicting emotions. The reality of the hope that they express is central to our faith, yet it is very easily pushed to one side as soon as we struggle with the challenging realities of life.

When I think of Mary I imagine that she too experienced mixed and conflicting emotions as she faced the consequences of the “yes” that changed the world for all of us. Yet, she is still able to trust and rejoice in God’s great goodness:

“I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God!”

Her words offer me hope and encouragement that seem particularly important in our unsettled times. She reminds me that, unlikely as it may seem, we are loved and held by God. Whatever we face, whatever we suffer, the God of love will be there, not necessarily to remove the suffering, but to hold and support us as we face it.

Where are you being reminded of the presence of the God of love in your life today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

Supported by Christ

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In today’s gospel Jesus is brutally honest with the crowds, warning them that following him is no easy option:

“If anyone comes to me without hating their father, mother, wife, children, brothers, sisters, yes and their own life too, they cannot be my disciple. Those who do not carry their cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.”

Stark as his words are, they are not intended to discourage us from following. Rather, he offers a realistic view of what we face if we choose discipleship. Jesus is making it clear that following him will not help us to avoid the suffering of life. On the contrary us he calls us to accept that suffering willingly. He invites us to refuse to give into the temptations of avoidance and grumbling, which can be so soul destroying.

We can understand this call to let go, painful as it is, when it relates to things that might be bad for us. But Jesus makes it clear that the call of discipleship might also lead us away from situations that are good and living giving as well as ones that aren’t. Accepting that is a much greater challenge. Jesus wants followers who are fully aware of the challenging path they have chosen.

This challenge can seem intolerable. It is made possible only by the accompanying promise. He assures us that whatever sufferings we face in life he will be there with us, a compassionate, loving presence in even the darkest of times. While neither the hope nor the promise will remove the sufferings, they offer a framework to encourage us to face them.

How is Christ supporting you in your suffering today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Gospel Lectio Divina Liturgy Saints Scripture

Knowing Christ

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Today we’re celebrating the feast of St Gregory the Great. The gospel poses the question at the heart of Christian life. Jesus asks his disciples what people are saying about him. It highlights Jesus’ humanity, like all of us he wonders what people think of him, and how much impact his message is having them.

He gets a varied response from the disciples. Some people say he’s John the Baptist, or Elijah, Jeremiah or one of the prophets. Brushing this mixed bag aside he asks the disciples:

“But you…who do you say I am?”

This question moves the discussion to a deeper level. Directed, not to the crowds who hear him in the market place or synagogue, but to the people who left everything to follow him. It requires a deeper response than the comments the disciples have passed on.

I can imagine the silence that fell as the disciples realised this and pondered their response. As usual it is Simon Peter who has the courage to break that silence as he says:

“You are the Christ…, the Son of the living God.”

As the rest of the passage unfolds we see how life changing this response is for Peter, and for St Gregory the Great. It’s left me pondering my own response to the question. Each time it arises it has the potential to be life changing for us too. Whenever it comes up we’re called to give it our whole attention so that we, like Peter and St Gregory, can answer it from the depths of our hearts.

Who do you say Christ is today?

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

A whole hearted welcome

 
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It’s a very natural human tendency to judge both ourselves and others. In today’s gospel we see the guests making swift and sure judgements about who is most deserving of places of honour at the table. Jesus is quick to point out the dangers of this:

“When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take your seat in the place of honour. A more distinguished person than you may have been invited, and the person who invited you may come and say ‘give up your place to this person.’”

Even with the best of intentions it’s very easy to cause more pain and discord by making wrong judgements. Reflecting on this has brought me back to two very basic Benedictine values, humility and hospitality. I think these can help us step back from the tendency to be judgemental.

Humility calls us to acknowledge that we are in no position to make judgements about how things should be arranged, or what others need or deserve. A humble attitude helps us to admit that we don’t know what is best for others and to be open to learning from them. However well intentioned our judgements can often cause hurt and distress.

Hospitality, the call to welcome everyone as we would Christ, offers us a way to avoid this. The first step in hospitality is to give another our whole attention, to allow them to tell us what they need, rather than assuming that we know. If we do that with open hearts, putting aside our own judgements, we will be able to discover what will make them feel truly welcome and accepted.

Where are you being called to put aside judgement today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture Truth

The call of authenticity.

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In today’s gospel Jesus is challenging the scribes and Pharisees. He is clearly outraged by their behaviour, and is willing to call them out on it. His language is strong, forceful, and even off-putting. He calls them out for being hypocrites, for presenting a false image of themselves.

It’s so tempting to put it all on the “Scribes and Pharisees” of the past. That way we can avoid looking at our own lives to see if we are falling into the same traps. To do that robs the gospel of its power to shape us and to be a living, life-giving word for today.

Instead, this challenging passage offers us an opportunity to look at our own lives. We live in times that are very concerned with image. Our social media feeds mean it’s never been easier to create and present a persona that highlights only the good and positive in our lives, making us appear better than we are. Jesus is clear, this is hypocrisy:

“You appear to people from the outside as if you were good and honest, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.”

As we look around our post truth world we can’t fail to acknowledge that we know both this temptation and its dangers. In in the first reading St Paul offers us a way of avoiding this temptation:

“Live a life worthy of God, who is calling you to share the glory of his kingdom.”

St Paul’s words call us to look honestly at where we might veer towards hypocrisy in our actions and in our thoughts. He challenges us to ensure that our ideals shape our actions and interactions so that we can live with integrity.

Where are you being called to live with integrity today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

Through a narrow door.

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Today’s gospel is full of challenge. It begins with a question, one we would all like answered, though we might not all have the courage to ask it:

“Sir, will there be only a few saved?”

The challenge becomes apparent in Jesus’ response

“Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because I tell you many will try to enter and will not succeed.”

We live in a world that claims to offer limitless individual freedom and choice. This is a compelling myth. So it’s hardly surprising then that we find the idea of any sort of limitation or restriction at best challenging and at worst an outrageous infringement of rights.

The Kingdom Jesus promises is not about individual rights. It’s about love, kindness, compassion and inclusion. If this kingdom is to become a reality in our daily lives we have to walk away from that beguiling myth. We have to acknowledge that we can’t have everything we want, do everything we want, be everything we want.

To choose the way of the kingdom we have to, like the first disciples, leave something behind. We have to discern what is life-giving and what isn’t. Then, we have to put down those things that aren’t life-giving. That’s relatively easy when we are faced with things that we know are bad for us.

It’s much harder when are called to put aside something that is good and life-giving for the common good or for the good of another. But, if we want to get through that narrow door Jesus talks of that is what we are called to do.

What is Christ calling you to put aside for the sake of the kingdom today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lectio Divina Scripture

The call to generosity

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As I’m away from my computer this week here are some thoughts on fairness and generosity from our archives: Today’s gospel is all about fairness and generosity. At the beginning of the day a landowner goes out to hire workers for his vineyard, offering them a fair price for the day’s work.

He goes out again several times later in the day, right up to the 11th hour, and still finding idle workers sends them to his vineyard offering them “a fair wage”.

At the end of the day he tells his bailiff to pay all the workers the same amount, starting with the ones who came last. This causes some consternation to those who have been working all day, and they grumble that it’s not fair as they have worked longer and should receive more.

They evoke our sympathy because we all know what it feels like to be treated unfairly. Yet, the vineyard owner takes a different view, saying to them:

“My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius?… Why be envious because I am generous?

His words turn the situation on its head, challenging his workers, and us, to look at it from a different perspective. He calls us to look at our motivations and to acknowledge that there can be a thin line between our desire for fairness and envy.

His generous action points out that generosity is a hallmark of the Kingdom. It compels us to reflect on where we can be generous towards those around us with both our material goods and our time.

Where is Christ calling you to act generously today?

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Benedictine Spirituality Christ Divine Office Lectio Divina Liturgy Rule of St Benedict Saints Scripture

With hearts made new.

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Today we’re celebrating feast of St Bernard Tolomei, the founder of the Olivetan congregation. He was a 13th century lawyer who, with a few friends, left the city to live as hermits in the hills outside of Siena. However, things did not turn out quite as they planned.

Having being led out into one of those “desert places” where God speaks to the heart, they were called back into the city to nurse the victims of the plague in 1349. It was there that St Bernard fell ill and died.

This morning at Lauds we sang this from the prophet Ezekiel:

“A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.”

It seems to me to sum up both the essence of St Bernard’s life and of the call to contemplation that we all experience. Bernard was led to seek a life of contemplation and prayer. In turn his life of prayer softened the stoniness of his heart enabling him to leave his solitude to care for those in need.

His life suggests that there is no division between a contemplative life and one of active service, they are two parts of a whole. It is our time spent with God that enables and sustains our service to others. It is the love we discover in the heart of God that softens our stony hearts and enables us to love our sisters and brothers.

Where is God softening your heart today?