Category: Prophetic voices

The signs of the times.

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 17/11/2024

Photo by Vincenzo Malagoli on Unsplash

I always find the more apocalyptic scriptures unsettling and disturbing. The imagery in today’s gospel of darkening sun and falling stars seems more designed to cause anxiety than anything else. It’s more likely to distract me than to help me discover the presence of God. Yet that is not why Jesus uses it in his conversation with his disciples. He’s pointing out these signs not to frighten them, but so that they can avoid being distracted and led astray.

He can’t give them the certainty they crave by telling them the date or time of the second coming, but he can give them a new awareness. He’s seeking to help them discern the signs of the time, to see beyond the drama and the turmoil to the hope he promises. He says to them:

“Take the fig tree as a parable: as soon as its twigs grow supple and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. So with you when you see these things happening: know that he is near, at the very gates.”

His words are a call to pay attention and prepare for the coming of Christ they’re also a call to discernment. They have a particular resonance in our challenging and unsettling times, when we can too easily fall into anxiety and hopelessness about so many areas of life and of the world. He calls us to stay focussed on him and his promise whatever is going on. As we come to the end of the Church’s year Jesus is calling us to be alert and ready for the signs of his presence with us whatever we are living through.

As we approach the last week of the liturgical year where is Christ calling you to be attentive to his presence?

Tags #Attention, #attentiveness, #Awareness, #Benedictine, #challenge, #Christ, #Christlike, #discernment, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #newlife, #signs, #trust

Christ Discernment Divine Office Lectio Divina Prayer Prophetic voices Saints Scripture Uncategorized

Hearing the call

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 01/10/2024

Image by S. Hermann / F. Richter from Pixabay

From the archives for the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. Today we are celebrating the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. She’s often been presented with an overlay of sentimentality and sweetness that undermines her great spiritual wisdom and insight. She was a women of great faith, courage, determination and discernment. This morning we had a reading from her autobiography, where she describes some of her struggle with vocation and its resolution. Reflecting on St Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians:

“Love, in fact is the vocation which includes all others; it is a universe of its own, comprising all time and space – its eternal… My vocation is love… I had discovered where it is that I belong in the Church, the niche God has appointed for me. To be nothing else than love… That’s to be everything at once.”

Her realisation is the result of a deep and honest personal reflection. To reach it she must have paid attention to her deepest discontent as well as her deepest desires, searching the Scriptures to discover how God was leading her through both to discover and respond to God’s call. To go through that process requires great honesty and courage, it’s something we’re all called to.

St Therese’s discernment takes us right back to the very heart of our Christian call, the call to love. It’s a call that seems obvious, straightforward and simple. But, as St Therese herself could tell us the ups and downs of life soon shows us that the call to love is also costly, challenging and painful.

How is God calling you to discover the niche God has appointed for you?

Tags #Benedictine, #challenge, #Corinthians, #Desire, #DoctorOfTheChurch, #gospel, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #newlife, #SeekingGod, #StPaul, #StTherseOfLisieux, #trust, #vocation

Benedictine Spirituality Christ Gospel Lent Prayer Prophetic voices Saints Uncategorized

Gospel living

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 09/03/2024

Photo by Ksenia Yakovleva on Unsplash

Some thoughts from our archives to celebrate St Frances of Rome.

As we come to the end of International women’s Day we’ve begun our celebration of one of our congregation’s saints, St Frances of Rome. She is one of a very small number of married women who are saints. She brought up a large family and did a great deal to help the poor and the sick of Rome. This week I’ve been reflecting on the blessing of gospel living and it seems to me that she epitomises that in her life. That’s especially true in the great care she took of the poor, wrapping their clothes in lavender after she’d washed and mended them. In her role as peacemaker and reconciler shows another aspect of a gospel focussed life. It’s written of her that:

“God gave her such an abundance of loving-kindness that those who had dealings with her immediately felt themselves captivated by love and admiration for her and were ready to do whatever she wished.”

Frances dealt with many difficult and, sometimes, violent situations. Even in those situations she was able to persuade people to change their behaviour by showing them love and kindness. This is the blessing at the heart of the gospel centred life. It may have brought blessings to Frances, it certainly made her a blessing to those she encountered.

It makes her a good role model international women’s day. She reminds me of the important role women play in building communities and changing the world. Her life carries the message that even in the most challenging situations, love and kindness have the power to change hearts, minds and lives.

Where is God calling you to share an abundance of loving-kindness in the challenging situations you face?

Tags #Benedictine, #challenge, #gospel, #Hope, #InternationalWomensDay, #kindness, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #love, #lovingkindness, #SaintFrancesofRome, #Saints, #trust

Lent Prayer Prophetic voices Scripture Uncategorized

As one friend to another

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 07/03/2024

Photo by Jaida Stewart on Unsplash

Today I’m reflecting on Moses’ encounter with God on the mountain. It’s an encounter happens in the context of an already deepening and flourishing relationship. The writer tells us that Moses and God speak face-to-face, as one friend to another. Yet, Moses wants more, desiring to draw even closer to God he asks to see God’s glory. I’m always struck by the love and tenderness of God’s reply:

“I will make all my goodness pass before you,… But, you cannot see my face; for no one can see my face and live.”

God then arranges that while God’s glory passes Moses will be hidden in the cleft of a rock, covered by the hand of God so that he can see God’s back, but not God’s face. I am always struck by God’s tenderness in this passage. God’s love and concern for Moses is evident.

God recognises Moses’ desire and that to fulfil it in the way Moses has asked would not be the best thing for him. So God finds another way, away of fulfilling Moses’ desire to draw closer to God, while keeping him safe from harm. God declares that God is:

“Merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness…”

It seems to me that God demonstrates this steadfast, faithful and gracious love in this encounter with Moses.

Lent gives us an opportunity to draw closer to God. Like Moses, we are invited to speak to God openly and trustingly. That can sometimes seem a challenging, or even daunting prospect. Moses’ encounter encourages us and reminds us that the God who waits to welcome us is overflowing with steadfast love for each one of us.

What would help you to speak to God as you would to a friend this Lent?

Tags #Benedictine, #challenge, #Exodus, #faithfulness, #friendship, #graciousness, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #Lent, #love, #mercy, #Moses, #newlife, #SteadfastLove, #trust

Benedictine Spirituality Christ Discernment Lectio Divina Lent Prophetic voices Rule of St Benedict Scripture Uncategorized

A habit of listening.

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 21/02/2024

Photo by Jordan Ryskamp on Unsplash

Today I’m reflecting on the first reading from the prophet Jonah. I’m struck by Jonah’s response to God’s call:

“Up!…Go to Ninevah, the great city and preach to them as I told you to”

Perhaps having learned from his earlier disagreement with God Jonah obeys swiftly and without argument or prevarication:

“Jonah set out and went to Ninevah in obedience to the word of the Lord.”

His response can make obedience seem easy, straightforward and simple, but it’s more complex than that. It takes me back to the Rule of St Benedict which calls us to “unhesitating obedience”. This is not a call to simply do what we are told, though it sometimes requires that.

Rather the call to obedience is a call to listen and respond to the call of God. It requires discernment, both to hear the call and discover the response we need to make. In the first instance the call to obedience is a call to listen. Then it is a call to respond to what we hear.

We’re called to develop a habit of listening, to attune ourselves to God’s presence in every situation so that we learn to recognise God’s voice in our lives. From this listening we will be able to discern the response we’re called to make. It’s a process that requires practice. We will make mistakes, getting it wrong, trusting in God’s mercy, and being willing to try again and change direction if necessary.

Where are you being called to develop a habit of listening this Lent?

Tags #Benedictine, #challenge, #discernment, #gospel, #Hope, #Jonah, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #Lent, #listening, #love, #newlife, #Obedience, #RuleOfStBenedict, #trust

Ash Wednesday Benedictine Spirituality Christ Cross Lectio Divina Lent Liturgy Prophetic voices Scripture Uncategorized

Ash Wednesday

Post author By Sr Judith
Post date 14/02/2024

Image by Clau48 from pixabay.com

There are many ways to describe Lent. It’s a time for, reflection, renewal, fasting, almsgiving and much more. Generally, one of these will take on more significance or importance for us than others, and that may change from year to year. But underlying all of those is the call back into relationship with God. At the heart of all our Lenten practices, from Ash Wednesday onwards is this call to relationship. The Prophet Joel writes:

“Now, now – it is the Lord who speaks – come back to me with all your heart, fasting, weeping, mourning… Turn to the Lord your God again for he is all tenderness and compassion, slow to anger, rich in graciousness and ready to relent. Who knows if he will not turn again, will not relent, will not leave a blessing as he passes…”

It’s a call that’s full of challenge and promise. It challenges us to look closely at our lives, to ask how far we’ve allowed the busyness of our lives to squeeze God out. In a world where we are always supposed to be positive and in control his words remind us of all the grief that we both carry and cause. We are challenged to allow ourselves the freedom to admit that all is not well in our lives and in our world. Alongside the challenge there is hope and a promise that helps us to face it. Whatever we are facing, however enthusiastically we begin Lent and however that enthusiasm might wane over the coming weeks the gracious promise of God will remain, offering us hope and encouragement. Wherever this Lenten journey leads us the God of tenderness and compassion will be there with us, encouraging and supporting us whatever we face.

On this Ash Wednesday where do you hope to encounter the God who is all tenderness and compassion?

Tags #AshWednesday, #Benedictine, #Blessing, #challenge, #compassion, #Encounter, #freedom, #Grace, #Hope, #kingdom, #KingdomValues, #lectiodivina, #Lent, #love, #Reflection, #Renewal, #tenderness