In his sleep at Bethel, Jacob had a vision:
There was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven; and behold, the angels of God were ascending and descending on it! And behold, the LORD stood above it and said, "I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac. (Genesis 28:12-13b)
In today's Gospel for the feast of the Archangels, Jesus identifies himself with the Ladder:
And he said to Nathanael, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man." (John 1:50-51)
Such a simple expression of fundamental Christianity! What connects the utterly other, completely transcendent and unknowable God to our world of time and history and mundane matter? The human life of Jesus of Nazareth is the ladder that connects heaven and earth, on which ascend and descend the messengers and messages of God that we call the angels.
Christianity is nothing more than the grateful response to God's bridging of the gap between the transcendent realm of heaven and our world of time and matter in Jesus Christ. It's why we sing in the Easter Exsultet,
"Night truly blest, when Heaven is wedded to earth, and man is reconciled with God."
September 29, 2006
September 28, 2006
Metaphor
The images and metaphors we choose to describe our spiritual struggles to ourselves are not just idle place-holders; they can make a big difference for our sense of freedom and possibility. Here's an example:
I received a letter yesterday from a woman I met on retreat. She's in the midst of a turbulent and complex vocation discernment, and here's how she described her spiritual struggle:
I need to either swim beneath the waves or learn to walk on water.
Notice what she has done with this image! First of all, she has used the image of the waters as a metaphor for the dangerous forces of chaos and un-meaning. This has the advantage of being a good, demonstrable Biblical image, and puts her into the thought-world of the Scriptures.
But even with that, she could have said, "I'm just trying to keep my head above water."
But she didn't. Instead she imagined her options positively, and not only that, she imagined two constructive paths through the waters of chaos. She can swim beneath the waves, seeking a deeper place in prayer, below the chaos and turbulence of emotions and daily hassles. Or she can learn to walk on water, as the Lord himself did when inviting Peter to a greater faith.
I thought it was a brilliant thought.
I received a letter yesterday from a woman I met on retreat. She's in the midst of a turbulent and complex vocation discernment, and here's how she described her spiritual struggle:
I need to either swim beneath the waves or learn to walk on water.
Notice what she has done with this image! First of all, she has used the image of the waters as a metaphor for the dangerous forces of chaos and un-meaning. This has the advantage of being a good, demonstrable Biblical image, and puts her into the thought-world of the Scriptures.
But even with that, she could have said, "I'm just trying to keep my head above water."
But she didn't. Instead she imagined her options positively, and not only that, she imagined two constructive paths through the waters of chaos. She can swim beneath the waves, seeking a deeper place in prayer, below the chaos and turbulence of emotions and daily hassles. Or she can learn to walk on water, as the Lord himself did when inviting Peter to a greater faith.
I thought it was a brilliant thought.
September 27, 2006
St. Vincent de Paul
Someone once told me that St. Vincent said something to this effect: We had better love the poor. If we don't, they will never forgive us for the charity we give them.
I've returned to that one from time to time. It suggests to me that not only do we have to examine our motives and examine our consciences around our sins, but around the good things we do as well.
All of us who do charitable service, works of justice, or community organizing need to ask ourselves why we are doing these things on behalf of the poor. Is it because we love them? Or is it because we hate the rich? Or maybe it's because of our righteous indignation at the systemic injustice of this world. Or maybe, God forbid, it's our liberal guilt that motivates us.
Love is the only valid motive for our works of Christian service. Indeed, it's the only valid motive for anything. After all, it's the only motive God has ever known.
I've returned to that one from time to time. It suggests to me that not only do we have to examine our motives and examine our consciences around our sins, but around the good things we do as well.
All of us who do charitable service, works of justice, or community organizing need to ask ourselves why we are doing these things on behalf of the poor. Is it because we love them? Or is it because we hate the rich? Or maybe it's because of our righteous indignation at the systemic injustice of this world. Or maybe, God forbid, it's our liberal guilt that motivates us.
Love is the only valid motive for our works of Christian service. Indeed, it's the only valid motive for anything. After all, it's the only motive God has ever known.
September 26, 2006
The Superdome
Yesterday I saw a bit on TV about the grand re-opening of the New Orleans Superdome for the Saint's victory over the Atlanta Falcons.
Now I know they did some stuff to honor the suffering of the victims of hurricane Katrina, and they had some first responders present for the festivities, but I couldn't get over the part that I saw with a bunch of celebrities and important people in fancy suits, enjoying special treats and fine china.
It seems to me that it would have been more classy to fill the newly fixed and renovated Superdome with all of the poor and unimportant kind of folks who suffered through the hurricane. It would have been a fine opportunity to subvert the divisions of class and race that make this country suffer so much.
In the Office of Readings today God's Word comes through psalm 12:
"For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan
I myself will arise," says the Lord.
"I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst."
Now I know they did some stuff to honor the suffering of the victims of hurricane Katrina, and they had some first responders present for the festivities, but I couldn't get over the part that I saw with a bunch of celebrities and important people in fancy suits, enjoying special treats and fine china.
It seems to me that it would have been more classy to fill the newly fixed and renovated Superdome with all of the poor and unimportant kind of folks who suffered through the hurricane. It would have been a fine opportunity to subvert the divisions of class and race that make this country suffer so much.
In the Office of Readings today God's Word comes through psalm 12:
"For the poor who are oppressed and the needy who groan
I myself will arise," says the Lord.
"I will grant them the salvation for which they thirst."
September 23, 2006
Holiness and Hazard
A confessor told me this story the other day, after making sure there wasn't anyone else in line for confession:
Once when he was superior of a large house, a brother was sent away to one of those places where priests and religious brothers and sisters go to deal with addictions or other serious life issues. When he was about to be released, the superior went to collect him.
While the head psychologist was discussing the brother's after-care needs with the superior, he received a phone call. To give him some privacy, the superior walked over to the office window. As he looked out on a beautiful spring day, he saw a number of priests and brothers and nuns walking about in silence in the yard below. Some were praying the rosary and some were reciting their office. They all looked holy to the superior, and he was edified by such a scene that seemed to give so much glory to God.
When his phone call was finished, the psychologist joined the superior at the window.
"Whatever is wrong with them individually, there is only one thing the matter with all of them," said the psychologist.
"Oh?" responded the superior.
"Not one of them has a friend in the whole world; no one to even shed a tear if they were to die," the psychologist continued.
The story illustrates a critical hazard of the spiritual, and especially the formal religious life. It's necessary that we pray and practice our devotion to God in the quiet of our hearts. But if we aren't also interested and devoted to other people, and if we don't allow them to love us in turn, we have wandered into a pseudo-spiritual blind-alley, cheated ourselves out of the good news, and have not believed in the God who is revealed in the utterly human life of Jesus Christ. And in this state we will be easy prey for all of the addictions and substitutes for God that the world tries to force upon us each day.
Once when he was superior of a large house, a brother was sent away to one of those places where priests and religious brothers and sisters go to deal with addictions or other serious life issues. When he was about to be released, the superior went to collect him.
While the head psychologist was discussing the brother's after-care needs with the superior, he received a phone call. To give him some privacy, the superior walked over to the office window. As he looked out on a beautiful spring day, he saw a number of priests and brothers and nuns walking about in silence in the yard below. Some were praying the rosary and some were reciting their office. They all looked holy to the superior, and he was edified by such a scene that seemed to give so much glory to God.
When his phone call was finished, the psychologist joined the superior at the window.
"Whatever is wrong with them individually, there is only one thing the matter with all of them," said the psychologist.
"Oh?" responded the superior.
"Not one of them has a friend in the whole world; no one to even shed a tear if they were to die," the psychologist continued.
The story illustrates a critical hazard of the spiritual, and especially the formal religious life. It's necessary that we pray and practice our devotion to God in the quiet of our hearts. But if we aren't also interested and devoted to other people, and if we don't allow them to love us in turn, we have wandered into a pseudo-spiritual blind-alley, cheated ourselves out of the good news, and have not believed in the God who is revealed in the utterly human life of Jesus Christ. And in this state we will be easy prey for all of the addictions and substitutes for God that the world tries to force upon us each day.
Franciscan Blogosphere
One of the Franciscan members of the hierarchy here in the USA, Cardinal O'Malley, is blogging his current visit to Rome. Check it out here.
September 22, 2006
Links
I have a couple of neat things to share today:
1. One of the brothers sent me this link to a collection of pictures of Jesus. Some are serious, some are silly, but, as I looked through them, I thought that all of them are provacative in their own way, and force upon us the query Jesus asks of all his disciples: Who do you say that I am?
The most reflection provoking ones for me are the Jesus made out of fruit and Jesus throwing Bush, Cheney and Greenspan out of the Temple. The one of Jesus showing off his tattoo seems silly at first, but then it really got me thinking about Jesus as God's revealer. But maybe that's because I just started a course on John's gospel.
2. Our friend Brother Lesser has a poem today about Francis, beauty, and Lady Poverty by Peter Maurin. I really liked it.
Enjoy!
1. One of the brothers sent me this link to a collection of pictures of Jesus. Some are serious, some are silly, but, as I looked through them, I thought that all of them are provacative in their own way, and force upon us the query Jesus asks of all his disciples: Who do you say that I am?
The most reflection provoking ones for me are the Jesus made out of fruit and Jesus throwing Bush, Cheney and Greenspan out of the Temple. The one of Jesus showing off his tattoo seems silly at first, but then it really got me thinking about Jesus as God's revealer. But maybe that's because I just started a course on John's gospel.
2. Our friend Brother Lesser has a poem today about Francis, beauty, and Lady Poverty by Peter Maurin. I really liked it.
Enjoy!
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