You alone...

"O God, it is you alone I love, you alone I follow, you alone I seek, you alone I am ready to serve. Heal and open my ears that I may hear your voice. Heal and open my eyes that I may see your will. Tell me where to look that I may see you, and I will place my hope in doing your will."

St. Augustine of Hippo

Isn't that a beautiful prayer as we embark on a summer weekend?  Blessings abundant!  Love, heidi

Day to day Jesus

"And (Jesus) was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white..."

Mark 9:2-3

I don't know about you, but as I imagine Jesus in my day to day life, he isn't dazzling.  The day to day Jesus for me is more the Frances Hook image, the "surfer Jesus."  Jesus looks very human in that image.  It's easier for me to picture Jesus as one of us, a fellow human, instead of a dazzling celestial being.  Why is that, I wonder?  Is it because we relate to fellow humans all our lives so that, naturally, comes easily to us? We tend to fear "out of this world" phenomena and things we don't understand.  So, the three apostles who witnessed the Transfiguration of Jesus there on the mountain were terrified, we are told. Jesus doesn't want to terrify us. Jesus wants relationship with us, however that can happen for us.  As it happened for the three, Peter, James and John, they witnessed the dazzling Jesus so they could remember later on and recount Jesus' glory for the world to know.  Who is Jesus for you in the day to day life? It may be an enriching prayer to sit there silently with him and find out.  Love, heidi

Leave fear in the boat

..."why did you doubt?"

Matthew 14:31

 

Why, indeed, Jesus? Can't you see the wind and the waves tossing us about? When sensible fear finally gets hold of Peter as he is trying to walk on the water to Jesus, he panics.  The Gospel explains, clearly, that it was fear that caused Peter to falter on the water and begin to sink. Fear is the real enemy of faith in all that we do! Fear of rejection keeps us from reaching out and doing something good.  Fear of the unfamiliar may keep us trapped in old, stale ideas about people, thus causing us to judge unjustly.  Fear keeps us in the boat, unable grow, change, or help someone else. But, Jesus is there, hand out-stretched, ready to grab onto us, steady us and lead us forward. Today, whatever keeps us too safe, too inactive, too un-reaching, let us give to God. Let's hold out our hands and allow Jesus to steady us and keep us afloat. Let's leave our fear in the boat.  Love, heidi

Continuous conversion

"Discipleship with Jesus calls for continuous conversion. Continuous."

Sr. Melannie Svoboda, Give Us This Day

 

I spent some lovely time yesterday connecting the dots of the day's three readings and this one sentence from Sr. Melannie said it all to me.  The first reading (Exodus 16:2-4,12-15) with the Israelites grumbling to Moses about needing food, leads to God providing manna for them each day.  The Gospel reading (John 6:24-35) where Jesus identifies himself as the "Bread of Life" is a continued manifestation of God nourishing the people. The second reading, Paul's letter to the Ephesians (Ephesians 4:17, 20-24) ties it all together for me. "You should put away the old self of your former way of life...and be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and put on the new self."  As followers of Jesus we are constantly called to be new selves...constantly called to conversion.  One and done doesn't work for discipleship. We are called each day to choose to follow Jesus; to convert to a new way of life. And the connection between the bread of heaven and our conversion? The Bread of Life--Jesus--gives us the nourishment we need for this daily task of conversion. Just like the manna for the Israelites, Jesus in the Eucharist gives us the spiritual food we need to get out there do it all for Jesus each day. New day. Continuous conversion. Bread of Life.  And suddenly, it's Monday. Love, heidi