A Person of the Beatitudes

"Raising his eyes toward his disciples Jesus said, 'Blessed are you who are poor, for the Kingdom of God is yours..."

Luke 6:20

 

Today, hand-in-hand with this Gospel, I read parts of "Jesus: A Pilgrimage," by Fr. James Martin.  There was so much wisdom in this chapter ("Happy," is the chapter, if you have the book) that I could only read part of it and then had to choose what to concentrate on today.  I chose (with God's help) the part on being "A Person of the Beatitudes," as Fr. Martin describes a fellow Jesuit.  I thought about what being a Person of Beatitudes would look like in my life each day.  Being a person who is "humble, merciful, gentle, peacemaking, seeking justice for others," is a challenge for all of us, even as we are Jesus people!  In my work, every day, I must realize I don't have all the answers or know everything.  I sometimes pull against the fact that others are more skilled in areas (like Technology!) and I need to ask for their help.  I need to show mercy to everyone, trying to understand that they are doing the best they can.  I need to avoid gossip and judgments of others and be an example of peacefully working together.  And finally, I need to go to bat for those who struggle and do my best for those who I encounter in my work.  It is worthwhile to sit with Jesus and consider how becoming "A Person of the Beatitudes" would look in our own lives.  Love, heidi

Jesus chose us!

"(Jesus) called his disciples to himself, and from them he chose Twelve, whom he also named Apostles."

Luke 6:13

After a full night of prayer, Jesus chose his closest Apostles.  He didn't choose the brightest, the holiest, or those without faults.  He chose normal, real, honest-to-goodness people.  Jesus chose us! Jesus had faith in us and hoped that, in spending quality time with us, we could be transformed.  Jesus knew we didn't have all we needed, yet, to be our best selves. But Jesus knew that a close proximity to him would help us to grow in love and compassion.  Thank you, Jesus, for having such faith in us by choosing us to be your Apostles.  We will constantly strive to stay close to you and never let you down!  Love, heidi

Say yes and then watch...

"We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

 

One thing I'm learning, slowly, as I progress along on my journey, is that when God calls us to do something, God also gives us what we need to do it.  We may feel a tug to do something out of our comfort zone.  We may be asked to do something we've never done before and may not be within our skill set.  Or, like me, we may daily be faced with a calendar of appointments and each one is a challenge!  And, just like Mary, we can answer the call, tug, and face the calendar with faith and trust that God will help us meet the challenge.  I think the first thing we need to do is admit that we actually need God's help.  And then we need to be open to watching God work.  God may not do things exactly as we do, so things may play out differently than we expect.  Later, we can look back and be amazed at what God has accomplished through our unwitting selves!  Today, let's step out in faith, ready to watch God work through our day.  Love, heidi

Depart from me!

"When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at the knees of Jesus and said, 'Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.'"

Luke 5:8

 

I have really enjoyed re-reading the parts of "Jesus: A Pilgrimage" as the Gospel stories come up in the daily readings.  Today, I re-read the chapter on Gennesaret and I loved Fr. James Martin's take on why Peter told Jesus to depart and then, almost immediately, dropped everything to follow Jesus.  According to Fr. Martin, Peter felt unworthy and fearful (fearful in general, fearful of change and also fearful of intimacy).  We all, too, may experience these feelings and thus, not be eager to step out of the boat and follow Jesus.  One line, though, strikes me:  Fr. Martin says, "Jesus knows Peter's weaknesses and call him anyway.  Jesus calls us anyway, too, in spite of our weaknesses." Peter knows he is just a guy--a fisherman.  His humanness shows up time and time again, through his impulsive behavior.  He gets it wrong as often as he gets it right...and yet, he is the man for Jesus.  As Fr. Martin points out, "It took time, after all, for Simon to become Peter."  That is such a wonderful comfort for us, too, Friends.  It takes time for us to become the people Jesus knows we are.  Jesus will never give up on us, and we must never give into the fear and unworthiness we may experience when Jesus calls us!  Love, heidi

The Great Stuff Lesson

"While there is still jealousy and rivalry among you, are you not of the flesh, and walking according to the manner of man?"

1 Corinthians 3:3

 

This reading got me thinking this morning: at what point can we lose our concern for things of the world or of the flesh?  At what point do our yearnings for material things, our petty jealousies and rivalries drift away? The other day at lunch, we were talking about the relative burden of "stuff." It has to be stored, arranged, locked up, and the worst of all--moved. At what point do we cross over from wanting more stuff to letting go of it and freeing ourselves of its burden? I would say the closer we get to God and God's glory, the easier it is to let go of stuff.  It may take until the end of our lives or it may happen as we draw closer to God even here in this world.  My mom was the great teacher of the Stuff Lesson for me.  She went from having to share a dress with her aunt during the Depression, to having two closets full of clothes at her peak, to having everything she owned fit into a small box by the time she went to her glory.  I hope to move to the "small box" stage a bit sooner!  What about you?  Love, heidi

Prayer for today...

"Grant me, O Lord my God, a mind to know you, a heart to seek you, wisdom to find you, conduct pleasing to you, faithful perseverance in waiting for you, and a hope of finally embracing you."

St. Thomas Aquinas, as quoted in "Living With Christ"

 

As we begin a new month, new work week, new school year, this prayer is a beautiful way to ask God for exactly what we need! How do each of these elements look in our daily lives?  We cannot know God's ways without studying God's word.  We cannot love like God without turning our hearts over to God--our human hearts just can't love that big.  We can ask God to help us to do what we should do--conduct ourselves with honesty, integrity and compassion. And finally, we wait for God-patiently, and with eager anticipation.  God will answer our prayers and give us exactly what we need to live our lives in love.  Blessings on your new week, month, school year!  Love, heidi