Meditation Moment in Eastertide: Wednesday, Week 5 '23

― Gibran Khalil Gibran*

Dear Creator of Darkness and Light:
              A positive spin on life has never come easily to me. It's so much easier to feel victimized, to wallow in the drama, to point the finger of blame and fault at others when life has failed to meet my desires.  I've lived in the THEY-can't-possibly-understand-or-take-the-time-to-care-about-what-I'VE-endured- self-involvement. And it wasn't until I was so depleted emotionally, that with nowhere else to go, I finally and desperately turned to YOU. When that happened I heard the Voice that had always been there.  I felt the Touch that reached for me. And as I came into the Love that never leaves, I started to feel the warmth fill my heart and my eyes opened to see all that has been there all along, for me. The dark days became suddenly brighter, the clouds lifted, and all that I need for life itself in good moments and terrible, in the ordinary and the amazing, from the depths of despair to the heights of heaven is an open heart to You. Thank You for being here for all the time it has taken for me to turn my mind around.  Thank You for the Free Will that allows me to choose my own path.  And although I may slip again, I now know the gift and glory of  being lifted up into the light and no longer will I want to drown in the darkness of my own making.  amen.


*Gibran Kahlil Gibran, [1883-1931] the third best-selling poet of all time after Shakespeare and Lao-Tzu, was born in Lebanon and emigrated to the US as a young man settling in Boston's South End.  Also an artist and a writer - most famous is his fictional but inspiring The Prophet written in 1923 and which gained a tremendous resurgence of popularity during the 1960s counterculture turbulence and took new root within the New Age movement.  Raised a Maronite Catholic, Gibran was also influenced by Islam, particularly Sufi mysticism and had strong connections with the Baha'i faith. His request to be buried in his native Lebanon was fulfilled by his close friend and his sister.

 

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Meditation Moment in Eastertide: Tuesday, Week 5 '23

We should ask God to

increase our hope when it is small,

awaken it when it is dormant,

confirm it when it is wavering, 

strengthen it when it is weak, 

and raise it up when it is overthrown.  

~ John Calvin*        

        Well, God, I think I'm a pretty hopeful person. But as I think about it in this moment, I'm not always sure what I'm hopeful about. When I was young I was hopeful about a happy marriage and great kids, a successful career and lots of travel.  Some of it has happened.  Some of it went a very different way. There were times when things were so bleak I didn't care enough to even want to have hope. But then, through no action of my own, hope blossomed again.

      SO, what am I hopeful about now?  Mostly, I want to be hopeful even when hope by itself  doesn't change things. Of course I hope for the usual list: good health, healthy family and friends, world peace, ending hunger and violence, etc. But so much these days, well, I guess most of the time, is beyond my control and that takes me down a path of despair, or, at the very least feeling disheartened. 

     I want to and hope to be a better follower of Jesus, taking to heart, especially His commandment to love You and all my neighbors and myself. Some days are better than others with those. At the very least, I know that when life is painful and chaotic, I can pray for the desire to hope and for, as Reinhold Niehbuhr says in his prayer, the wisdom to accept the things I cannot change and change the things I can**. And, when I am feeling hopeful, send a reminder for me to give thanks to You ~ an unexpected butterfly or a child’s smile, or the neighbor's dog who runs to me and licks my hand even with no treat in it! I do know that You are always here, sometimes a little kick somewhere can help.  amen.

*John Calvin [1509-1564] was born in France and so would have been addressed by the French pronunciation of his name mostly lost to us over time, which is approximately Zhawn Calvahn. The ordained Calvin left the Roman Catholic Church and became a major player in the Protestant Reformation. His writings were contentious and he was influential in at least one execution. He and his contemporary, Martin Luther, had respect for one another early on though each had a differing theological view. There was a disagreement between Luther and a Reformer in Zurich, Huldrych Zwingli, over the interpretations regarding the Eucharist. Calvin's opinions on the matter caused Luther to equate Calvin with Zwingli. From those tempestuous beginnings, Calvin's theological perspective is seen as the major influence for the Reformed, Congregational, and Presbyterian churches throughout the world today. While not my favorite theologian, the lesson to be gleaned is that there is always something useful to be gleaned from reading, or listening, to someone with whom we disagree.

** Here is the full, original, unabridged Niebuhr text of the famous Serenity Prayer: 

God, give us grace to accept with serenity the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

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Prayers of the People: Unquestionably ~ 6th Sunday of Easter '23 Yr A

 For Sunday, May 14, 2023; Readings: Acts 17:22-31, Psalm 66:7-18, 1 Peter 3:13-22, John 14:15-21

 The God who made the world and everything in it...gives to all mortals life and breath...From one ancestor he made all nations to inhabit the whole earth...so that they would search for God...though indeed he is not far from each one of us. [Acts 17:24a, 25b-26a, 27]

      Bless our God...who holds our souls in life...who has not rejected my prayer, nor withheld his love from me. [Psalm 66:7a, 8b, 18b]

  Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear...And Baptism...now saves you - not as a removal of dirt from the body, but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ... [1 Peter 3:13-14a, 21] 

   Jesus said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments and I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of Truth...You know him because he abides with you, and he will be in you. I will not leave you orphaned; I am coming to you." [John 14:15-18]

      This week's readings begin with reminders of the work of God in Creation, Who, in addition to making the world, gave us life and breath and holds our souls in life. God is known to us if we open ourselves to discover God’s Presence within. While life is often difficult, God is with us throughout it all. Paul tells the Athenians ~ and now us ~ the obvious, God doesn't need anything as God is the Creator who made everything. Furthermore, part of God's plan, is for us to search for and discover God within and around us.

    In the reading from 1^st Peter, the writer is comparing those whom God saved through Noah and the Ark as they were safe upon the water and Baptism, which this prefigured and now saves us as an appeal for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus.

   The words Jesus speaks in John's Gospel this week are from the part of John’s Gospel known as The Farewell Discourse that Jesus gave at Last Supper after washing the disciples' feet. The Discourse in John’s chapters 14-17 gives information and instruction to the gathered. We know well of Jesus telling the gathered of the coming betrayal, and Peter's denial. But, there is much more to this conversation. In last week's passage, Jesus says Do not let your hearts be troubled and this week he tells of asking God, on our behalf, for another Advocate who is within us, the Spirit of Truth. He reassures the disciples, who didn't yet understand at this point ~ and we who do now know what was to come ~ that he will not leave us orphaned; we will see him again. 

   When we combine these passages and the ones ahead toward and on the Feast of Pentecost, we find another powerful reminder ~ the constancy of our ever-present God in Three Persons: Creator, Redeemer, Advocate. And the truth is, when we actively work to build and keep a good conscience, and recognize and call upon the Trinity within us, we are more and more able to relinquish the strong hold of earthly distractions along with its fears and griefs, its anger and frustrations.

   The Gospel this week begins with Jesus saying If you love me, you will keep my commandments. It ends with They who have my commandments and keep them are those who love me; and those who love me will be loved by my Father, and I will love them and reveal myself to them.

   We are called to walk through our human existence with our Creator, Jesus our Redeemer, and the Holy Spirit of Truth, our Advocate; all are within us on the Way. Knowing we are loved in each and every moment is the understanding of and reminder to give love, even in and with the most difficult of our encounters with God’s own People. Far from easy much of the time, yet as the saying goes, Love IS the answer ~ Unquestionably!

LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY

Leader:  ~ God of All Creation, we live, we move, and have our being in You, who gave us all life and breath. You overlook our ignorance and never withhold Your love. Quicken our desire to turn toward You, repent for things done and left undone, and pledge our love and obedience to Your Commandments.

                                                  Blessed be our God

RESPONSE:           Who holds our souls in life

~ God of All Creation, embolden and encourage us as we urge productive humanitarian and environmental actions and justice from the political leaders of our Nation, our Community, and our Planet, in the service of safety, mercy, and health for all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Blessed be our God

                                                Who holds our souls in life                                          

~ God of All Creation, deliver comfort and hope to all who are sick, anxious, or fearful, and to those who worry and attend to their needs. We now join our hearts to pray for those in need… add your own petitions

                                                Blessed be our God

                                                Who holds our souls in life      

~ God of All Creation, we commend to Your eternal embrace all who have left this mortal life and live again in everlasting joy and glory in You. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Blessed be our God

                                                Who holds our souls in life

~ God of All Creation, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions 

                                                Blessed be our God

                                                Who holds our souls in life         

~ God of All Creation, lift and renew the spirits of all who lead us in Your church in these difficult days, that they may guide us all to a place of spiritual refreshment through Your Word and by Your Love. We pray especially for: add your own petitions

                                                Blessed be our God

                                                Who holds our souls in life                                                                                                    

The Celebrant adds: Living, Loving Creator, who holds our souls in life, free us from earthly fears and steady us on our journey to You, as we offer sacrifice and prayer for a good conscience and constant thanksgiving for the Resurrection of Christ. We ask through Jesus our Living Savior; and the Spirit of Truth, our Holy Advocate, who live and reign with You, as One God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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Meditation Moment in Eastertide: Saturday, Week 4 '23

Dear God,

    It's seems too simple, John Wesley's Rule of Life.  Just do good, all the time, in all ways, in all places, to everyone for as long as possible.  But I realize that sometimes in the seemingly simple there is deep complexity. I must look deeply within myself to be conscious and intentional about my thoughts and actions to see where I am on track and where I am not.  

   Oh Dear God! I'm off track more than I'm on and I am in such need of Your help. I want to do the good You have called me to do. Having Wesley's words as a kind of mantra will help to guide me but at the end of every day, I need to return to You in my prayer. Please breathe the good of Jesus into my soul as the fuel to fire my life in Christ. Give me the courage and fortitude to spread the Good News through good thoughts actions throughout all the days of my life, for as long as I ever can.  amen.  

John Wesley [1703-1791], born in Epworth, England, was an Anglican cleric and with his brother Charles, also Anglican, and Charles Whitefield, a Calvinist, riding a circuit to reach rural areas, starting an evangelical movement known as Methodism and strongly influenced the Holiness and Pentecostal movements. He argued against Calvinism, especially pre-destination, and remained committed to the Anglican Church and its sacramental theology. His "method" effectively trained and used non-ordained itinerant preachers to develop small Christian discipleship groups with religious instruction to effect social reforms particularly in prison reform and abolitionism. By the end of his life he was known as "the best loved man in England."

 

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Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Friday, Week 4 '23

The spiritual life is not the elimination of struggle; 

it is the sanctification of struggle.  

It is struggle transformed to wisdom.

~ Sr. Joan Chittister*            

When I was a child, I spoke and thought and reasoned as a child. 

But when I grew up, I put away childish things.  

~ 1 Corinthians 13:11

Dear God,
     When I was a kid I thought You were The Most Magic Person. You created the heavens and the earth and all that is in it, Adam and Eve and me! As I grow older I wonder more about You and discover that the more I learn, the less I know, although I now believe some things very differently. 
    I now believe that as life happens, so do the ups and downs, joys and sorrows, the routine and ordinary. I know that it's up to me to turn to You, as the God in the Holy Trinity, to sanctify the days of struggle and the days of nothing special. In the midst of terrible times I won't feel immediately better as the Magic You of my childish imaginings would have it. Yet through Your presence in my soul, the older me is more readily able, and sooner, to move forward, accepting the things I cannot change and living each day as fully as possible for the time that I have. Perhaps in my times of struggle ahead, and by remembering to turn to You before, during, and after, I will more easily transform those times into opportunities for some wisdom. As I continue to work on entering and growing into a more spiritual life, I already know that there is peace and rest in the midst of questions and conflict.  
   As I grow older, help me please, to be more child-like in my faith ~ that is, unspoiled, open, with an accepting innocence, and less child-ish ~ that is, immature, stubborn, and demanding to have things my way and angry when I cannot. Let me remember always that the Magic of Life is in my acceptance, perseverance, and Faith, walking in, with, and through Your grace. amen.

*Sr. Joan Chittister [1936- ] is a member of the Benedictine Sisters in Erie, Pennsylvania.  A noted author and lecturer, she is regular columnist with the National Catholic Reporter, and also contributes to other publications on-line and in print. She writes on the issues of women in the church and society, human rights, peace, and justice in the areas of war and poverty, religious life, and spirituality. She is co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, a UN-sponsored organization creating a worldwide network of women peacemakers.  The author of more than 50 books and hundreds of articles, Sr. Joan has received numerous awards for her writing. Sr. Joan is slated to be a keynote speaker at the Discipleship of Equals in October 2023 in Rome hosted by Spirit Unbounded, a new international network for Reform-Minded Catholics.

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Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Thursday, Week 4 '23

Believe, when you are most unhappy, 

that there is something for you to do in the world. 

So long as you can sweeten another's pain,

life is not in vain.

        ~  Helen Keller *

Dear God ~ Straight up, I need Your help! I do my best to be a helpful person to family, friends, and even strangers (unless their driving is driving me nuts ~ I keep working on that). But the part that is hard is remembering to remember others when I'm feeling down and sometimes even when I'm on top of the world.  Help me find a way to look outside of myself regardless of what is happening in my life. In the ordinary moments of life, reaching out my hand to another is easy. It is in the difficult times that I want to be thoughtlessly thoughtful, to hold my hand out to someone who needs me more than I need to think about myself.  Please give me a hand with this. Thank You, as always.  amen.

*Helen Keller [1880-1968] was born a healthy girl in Tuscumbria, Alabama and at 19 months old she contracted an illness that left her deaf and blind. The story of her extraordinary journey and that of her teacher, Anne Sullivan, has been depicted in the play and film "The Miracle Worker." An internationally known author, political activist, and lecturer, she was  the recipient of numerous honors including the Presidential Medal of Freedom by Lyndon Johnson, elections to the National Women's Hall of Fame and the Alabama Women's Hall of Fame. She was the first deaf/blind person to earn a Bachelor of Arts degree upon graduation from Radcliffe. Her life and work are iconic in framing the concept of overcoming obstacles and as an ardent advocate on behalf of others.

Click here to see Helen and her teacher Anne: How Helen Learned to Speak

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Meditation Moment in Eastertide ~ Wednesday, Week 4 '23

Peace is not something you can force on anything or anyone... much less upon one's own mind. It is like trying to quiet the ocean by pressing upon the waves. Sanity lies in somehow opening to the chaos, allowing anxiety, moving deeply into the tumult, diving into the waves, where underneath, within, peace simply is. 

~ Gerald G. May*

Lord of the Deepest Peace,
      There are so many days that I see the world around me is in such chaos ~ whirling in violence, poverty, pain, and legalized cruelty to others who are not "us" in Your name. I am at such a loss trying to know in which direction to turn, which good cause needs me the most. What can I possibly do to make any kind of useful difference? I am merely the tiniest pebble in the hole of a huge dyke that strains against impending disaster. And then, taking a breath, I remember You and my prayer begins again. Grant me the stillness within myself that I can turn into my focus outwardly. My footing is more certain when peace is in my heart and my soul takes its ease in Your comfort. From there I can move forward and the direction of my path becomes clear.  amen.  

*Gerald Gordon May, [1940-2005] was an American psychiatrist and theologian, and as a conscientious objector, worked as an Air Force psychiatrist in Vietnam. Later he was a staff psychiatrist in a prison mental hospital in Maryland. He later became a senior fellow at the Shalem Institute for Spiritual Formation in Bethesda, Maryland conducting workshops in contemplative theology and psychology. He wrote several books on the subject of combining spiritual direction with psychological therapy. 

All compositions remain the property of the owner of this blog but may be used with attribution and edited for local use as long as they are not sold or charged for in any way. For more information or comments, contact: Leeosophy@gmail.com