Someone sent this video which is too wonderful. Everyone I've shared it with has their favorite moment. You can tell alot about a person by the way they treat animals. The Dali Lama says, "If you want to start being a non-violent person; stop killing insects." It's do-able (more often than not). "When our hearts are authentically open to universal communion, this sense of fraternity excludes nothing and no one. It follows that our indifference or cruelty towards fellow creatures of this world sooner or later affects the treatment we mete out to other human beings." Pope Francis
~ ~ ~
What is a heart of mercy? It is the heart on fire for the whole of creation, for humanity, for the birds, for the animals, even for demons, and for all that exists. By the thought of them, the eyes of a merciful person pour forth tears in abundance. By the strong and intense mercy that grips such a person's heart, and by such great compassion, the heart is humbled and one cannot bear to hear or to see any injury or slight sorrow in any creature. For this reason, such a person offers up tearful prayer continually even for irrational beasts, for the enemies of the truth, and for those who harm him, that they be protected and receive mercy because of the great compassion that burns without measure in a heart that is in the likeness of God. Saint Isaac of Syria ~ 7th c.
May is Mary's Month:/ Mary,/ the first disciple/ who carried Christ within her through the hill country to visit elder-relative, Elizabeth./ May we realize how truly we carry Christ within ourselves./ May we learn to see Christ in others./ We pray to the Lord.
Pope Francis visits Egypt this weekend./ May his words of reconciliation and justice be heard by all./ May even those who protest his visit/ come to embrace his invitation for a peaceful Middle East./ We pray to the Lord. We pray for our country in its many internal problems and concerns:/ its infrastructure,/ health care,/ mental health,/ veteran and elder care,/ gun violence and drug addiction./ We ask for the help and healing we need./ We pray to the Lord.
Tuesday is the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker./ We pray blessings for those whose work benefits us./ For the un-employed and under-employed./ For the disabled who cannot work./ For those whose work is dangerous,/ exhausting or un-just./ We pray to the Lord.
Bless the young children who receive their First Holy Communion in May./ May our hearts be as pure today as they were the day of our own First Communion./ We pray to the Lord.
Give strength and healing to our families./ Grant what is needed for their well-being,/ success and growth./ We pray for the sick/ and those who suffer chronic pain or depression./ We pray to the Lord.
The Shuiskaya icon of the Mother of God was created as a place of intercession during the plague of 1654 in Shuia, Russia. But while the plague abated, the wonders continued. Sadly, the original icon disappeared in 1922. Healing science didn't exist in the mid 17th century the way it does for us in the 21st. So the new religious/spiritual question is: What plagues us today?
In his recent Holy Week homilies Pope Francis spoke of another kind of sickness which afflicts us: our divisions and wars. our love of power, appearances and money, our hatreds, selfishness, pride, greed, revenge and idolatry. He often speaks of the reckless destruction of our planet-home: the oceans choked with plastic, the ground ripped open for its minerals, the extinctions of plant and animal life. And that we have lost our sense of shame.
Notice that while the icon was painted during a time of deadly sickness, its painted message is not gloomy. The Mother of God doesn't frown, but smiles maternally. She holds the Divine Child in her right arm and his foot with her left. He sits in her embrace playing with his right foot. Her maphorian (mantle) is ample - large enough to enfold our weary world.
Where we might expect sorrow (or even punishment if the painter had been able to anticipate the sickness of our own time) there is only light, bright-joy and solidarity, as the Mother and Child interface with us. We might even sense the playfulness of God who invites us to change.
If the Child's scroll were un-rolled, maybe the message would read: "Save your planet. Stop hating each other. Stop all the killing."
A friend sent thisReaders Digest story which might help when I want to throw up my hands in discouragement, doubt or futility:
A woman who was sick with cancer, told the story of when her daughter forced her to go for a ride up into the mountains on a cold, rainy day. They got out of the car, walked through the woods, and came to a clearing when a spectacle of thousands of daffodils in bloom spread out before them. On the little path to the field was this sign: "One woman, one hand-spade, one at a time."
And then of course, there is Cardinal Newman's prayer which we might keep close by:
God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another. I have my mission - I may never know it in this life but I shall be told it in the next.
I am a link in a chain, a bond of connection between persons. He has not created me for naught. I shall do good. I shall do His work. I shall be an angel of peace, a preacher of truth in my own place while not intending it - if I do but keep His Commandments.
Whatever, wherever I am I can never be thrown away. If I am in sickness, my sickness may serve Him; in perplexity, my perplexity may serve Him; if I am in sorrow, my sorrow may serve Him. He does nothing in vain. He knows what he is about. He may take away my friends, He may throw me among strangers. He may make me feel desolate, make my spirits sink, hide my future from me - still He knows what He is about. Therefore I will trust Him.
Today is Earth Day./ We pray for the healing of our planet where it is poisoned,/ trashed and exploited./ May we each find our way to help in the rescue of the great gift God has given for our pleasure and God's glory./ We pray to the Lord.
Pope Francis travels to Egypt this coming weekend./ We pray for his safety/ and ask that his visit would bring about new peace efforts,/ understanding and reconciliation./ We pray to the Lord.
Racism is the original sin of our country./ We pray boldly for our cure,/ asking for the forgiveness of this national sin./ May we learn to love other people well./ We pray to the Lord.
All the world longs for good government./ We pray for leaders who are not corrupted,/ but moral people,/ intelligent,/ humble of heart,/ compassionate/ and generous servants./ We pray to the Lord.
In the Easter time/ grant that we would not lose our joy./ Protect us from anxiety/ and the angry cynicism which steals our energies/ and keeps us from the heart-awareness that leads to service./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for prisoners,/ the sick and the dying,/ those with special needs,/ their families and any who help./ For the people who are victimized,/ abused,/ cheated,/ or left without support and friendship./ We pray to the Lord.
Someone sent this photo taken during the Easter Liturgy in a Russian church. The congregation is very serious. Maybe they have been taught to look emotionless (or even gloomy) during prayer. Or maybe they have worked hard all day and have only their fatigue and their troubles to bring to the night-time liturgy. Maybe the picture was taken during a tedious and too long sermon.
Anyway, some dad has put his delightful three year old up on his shoulders so she can see above the rows of adults, and she has broken out into Easter Joy. Here is the Collect (opening prayer) for Mass this past Sunday.
May your people exult for ever, O God; in renewed youthfulness of spirit, so that, rejoicing now in the restored glory of our adoption, we may look forward in confident hope to the rejoicing of the day of resurrection.
I remember the catechism lessons preparing me for my First Holy Communion in the 1950's. The story of creation - the beauty, the wonder. But then the story took a sad turn and we were taught about Original Sin and the personal sin which follows and verifies the original big one. Then the religion became morose and the word sin and its near occasions started to appear everywhere, and the soul-desire to live in God's beauty, imagination and wonder was left uncultivated.
This little girl really gets it. No one has had to teach her. Her religion hasn't become cerebral-ized. (I made up a word). She clearly isn't mimicking the congregation. Her soul (inner person) is clean and clear. She might see things we no longer see: Does she see the light of Christ's Resurrection? Does she see the angels who announced, "He is not here" to the Myrrh-Bearing women? Does she feel the original joy and wonder of the Easter Witnesses?
Her arms are like wings carrying her off. She's assumed a liturgical posture called an orans - like a priest standing at the altar. Her eyes, hands and mouth are wide open in receptivity: "Feed me, O Christ, Death-Trampler; Life-Restorer." She's all spontaneity and freedom. Will a day come soon when she's told, "Shhh. Stand with your hands at your side."
And we might ask ourselves: Is there any exuberance for God in my life? When did I feel it last? Was it a very long time ago? What has happened to it? We might ask the little girl to help us feel this psalm (67)
O God, be gracious and bless us and let your face shed its light upon us. So will your ways be known upon earth and all nations learn your saving help. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. Let the nations be glad and exult for you rule the world with justice. With fairness you rule the peoples, you guide the nations on earth. Let the people's praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you. The earth has yielded its fruit for God, our God has blessed us. May God still give us his blessing till the ends of the earth revere him. Let the peoples praise you, O God; let all the peoples praise you.
This is Convallaria Majalis Rosea (Lily-of-the-Valley) a light pink, fragrant version which blooms in late spring. Lily-of-the-Valley grows from pips - (a thin, fleshy root that's planted horizontally an inch or so below the soil surface). A box of ten arrived yesterday, prematurely I'd say. Of course, printed on the box, and again on the invoice, and again on the plastic package, instructions:PLANT IMMEDIATELY.
Today was a raw day, less than ten degrees above freezing. There was spring sun for about three minutes, but the weather lady says it's going to warm through the weekend. So I went out to turn over the soil along the woods where I hope the pips will settle in. I told a friend that the the little roots won't bloom this year, but that's okay; I like the gradual steps on the way to their blooming. A wooden marker will remind me of where to look for them next spring. God willing.
Lily of the Valley grow close to the ground, no more than 6 to 8 inches. In the Mary Garden they are called, Tears of Our Lady. The legend goes that as Mary wept at the foot of the cross on Calvary, her tears fell to the ground and Lily-of-the-Valley wondrously sprouted up and bloomed.* It's too beautiful to suggest it didn't really happen. This is a religion that honors human tears and the love that prompts them.
But I don't want simply to admire Mary in her sorrowing from a distance. I don't want simply to feel for Mary in her loss. But tears are part of human life. Some people grew up being told not to cry: "Big boys don't cry.""What are you getting so emotional about?" Tiresome really
"Mourning and weeping in this valley of tears," the Salve Regina prayer says. Sitting in a waiting room recently I saw an episode of Dr. Phil where a step-father appalled the audience with the way he degraded and insulted his step-daughter and the girl's mother not standing up for her. Who wouldn't feel the need for tears?
Some tears are shed for reasons not too serious: crying over a fender-bender, a wedding day snag, a dish broke. But then we see the television pictures of Syria's children suffocating and burning from another chemical gas attack; their cities turned to dust.
Remember the first lesson from the Ash Wednesday Mass: "Between the vestibule and the altar let the priests, the ministers of the Lord, weep..." Joel 2:17 Tears have a place in church: before the altar, on the Communion line, before the icon or the tabernacle. And the words "priest" and "minister" don't only refer to the ones who wear vestments - we're all a priestly people. Lily-of-the-Valley: Our Lady's Tears; your tears and mine. *Another legend says that Eve wept when the couple were expelled from the Garden of Eden, that her tears fell to the ground and Lily-of-the-Valley bloomed. Hey, what about Adam's tears? I hope he cried too. Crying isn't just for women.
We pray for the poor country of Syria./ For its children,/ the elderly,/ the weak,/ the displaced./ For those who perpetrate great evil in the gassing and bombing of towns and cities,/ schools,/ homes,/ hospitals,/ churches and mosques./ We pray to the Lord.
As we pray for the child in the womb,/ we pray too for those already born,/ for the poorest,/ the destitute,/ the abandoned and rejected,/ the under-privileged,/ the vulnerable-infirm,/ the euthanized,/ the victims of human trafficking/ and the new forms of slavery./ We pray to the Lord.
Next Sunday is Earth Day./ May we learn to love and protect the gift of our planet-home./ That we would not be greedy or thoughtless consumers./ For the conversion of exploiters and destroyers./ We pray to the Lord.
We pray for those who in the month of April celebrate birthdays,/ anniversaries and other days of remembrance,/ asking for good health,/ safety and peace./ We pray to the Lord.
In the Springtime,/ as light and warmth increase in our hemisphere,/ we ask for hearts that are warmly disposed towards others./ May we hate no one,/ and grow in the ability to forgive and reconcile./ We pray to the Lord.
For the members of our families and for our friends./ We pray for those who are having a hard time of it,/ who might be depressed or not feeling well,/ who are weak or stressed with losses and challenges./ We pray to the Lord.
This image appeared at the top of the Easter Intercessions recently and a friend wrote asking if we could talk about the meaning of the icon. Many Western Christians have never seen anything like this before, having grown up with the traditional Western, Easter depiction of Jesus, dressed in white and coming out of the tomb carrying a banner with a red cross. The only people in that scene are the guards who the Gospel tells us became like dead men. The Gospels are silent about the moment of Jesus' Resurrection, so we are left to our imagination as to what happened historically, but all the more, what does it all mean? The Eastern Christian icon shown here might be titled: Jesus Raising the Dead or The Descent into Hades. Hades is not hell, but our underworld of death. And death is not just what places us all in the grave, but the loss every person experiences while on this planet. But death (loss) can be relational, cultural, spiritual, physical, psychological. Death can be personal but also national, ecclesial, global. Can you name it for yourself? And look! Jesus is running towards that condition of loss. He had knocked down the well-secured gates that are set up to keep us trapped in the underworld of death and loss. Notice the nuts and bolts, screws, locks and keys that are flying through the cavernous, murky darkness and even the gatekeeper (who is not Satan) has been pressed down. Some icons show him shackled or tied up. But notice this too, unlike the Western image, which is a Resurrection of Jesus only and which leaves me simply a dazzled admirer, the Eastern icon shows Jesus having yanked up a whole planet of people: Moses, John the Baptist, David and Solomon and all those behind them. Some icons show the prophets Elijah and Jeremiah. The icon in the chapel here has the three "wise men" from Matthew's Gospel. And the last to be freed and drawn out of the Kingdom of Death, the kingdom of dark-losses, are Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve symbolize humankind - every human person who has lived on this earth, or who will live on this planet while it exists. The Resurrection of Jesus is universal. God is not a loser! The website for the Buddhist Zen Mountain Monastery in Mt. Tremper, N.Y. bears the title: To All Seeking Refuge. Sounds like the title for an icon of the Mother of God. The page reads:
In this time of challenge and heightened uncertainty, Zen Mountain Monastery invites and welcomes every person seeking refuge in the ancient teachings of wisdom and compassion to practice with our Sangha (community).
If you are black or brown, white or any other race or color, you are welcome here.
If you're Asian, Latino, Middle Eastern, Native American, or any other nationality or ethnicity, you are welcome here.
If you're Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, Jain, Pagan, Wiccan, Atheist, or other, you are welcome here.
If you're a citizen or a resident, documented or undocumented, a refugee, you are welcome here.
You are welcome if you're liberal, conservative, or apolitical.
You're welcome if you're gay or straight, bisexual, trans or undefined.
If you're rich or poor, big or small.
If you're sixteen, thirty-five, sixty-five or eighty, you are welcome here.
The Easter Icon with its universal theme suggests the Christians ought to be the world's welcome experts. Some people will want to tease out scripture verses which insist on exclusion. Some people will want to jump ahead to the Communion line citing who can and can't receive the Eucharist. But the icon proposes a universal welcome which is first and foremost a conditioning of our hearts. The national wave of bullying suggests this conditioning is sorely needed, as there are still plenty of people out there who are exclude-rs, dividers - even eliminators.
Before reflecting on Psalm 33 we might take note of verse 11 in the preceding Psalm 32. Here is the invitation:
"Be glad in the Lord and rejoice O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart."
Some parishes spend months and endless committee meetings creating their mission statement. I'd suggest we can't do better than this: be glad in the Lord, rejoice, shout for joy, have an upright heart. Now Psalm 33.
Verses 1-3:"Sing joyfully," what a summons. "Praise the Lord." "Make music." "Sing a new song." "Play skillfully." "Shout for joy." The love of God, the claim of being dependent upon God, the desire to be the Lord's servant - all of these begin with praise. Then why is church singing so tired and lifeless. Praising God is the offering of self.
The scriptures are loaded with references to the instruments of temple praise. God isn't partial to pipe organs. The little non-denominational churches that are springing up everywhere and which are filled with former Catholics, especially young former Catholics use guitars, banjos, flutes, harps, drums, tambourines and bells. I was in a monastery where a monk play on an old scrub board at Mass. It wasn't irreverent in the least.
But it's the goal of praising God and celebrating God's rule that ultimately matters. If we really understood and accepted that of course we might shout out loud! At Mass we might start with the sung Gloria, the Alleluia before the Gospel, the Holy, Holy, Holy and the Acclamation after the Consecration. God is God! We each owe our existence to God. Shouldn't be be raising the roof over that? And with more than just the minimal one verse.
Verses 4-5: Here the psalmist gives us reasons for praising God. God is always expressing God's self. God is always giving himself away to us in God's Word and works. Praise God because God is faithful and true. Praise God because of God's justice (how to be on this planet according to God's intentions). Praise God because God's love is unfailing. God's purposes spring out of God's love for us. How wonderful is this!
Verses 6-9: Creation is carried on God's breath. The stars in the sky are placed by God's exhaling them. And of course, the life within each human person is animated by a breath of God. No one, however mistaken, however twisted up or various, is without that God-infused dignity.
The line here about the "waters being kept in a jar" would resonate with the ancient Hebrews who witnessed the sea opening and dividing for their passage to freedom. Fearing the Lord: not that God will ping me off into a black hole for being naughty - but that I would fear anything that would take me away from the love of this all-providing God. Fear the loss!
Verses 10-12: But now there is a shift. Notice that it's not us (even a nation) who choose God, but God chooses us. There's a difference. Our money reads: In God We Trust. Really? God is in charge. We're here and gone. Our plans and projects and even our achievements come and go, but God's heart-thoughts endure.
Verses 13-15: God sees humankind - not like the teacher who had eyes behind her head but as a loving creator. Notice too that God sees and knows each of us personally in the heart which God has fashioned.
Verses 16-19: These verses say it all. Are we ready? These are the verses that for ages upon ages we have failed to accept. The earth, the world, this planet - it all belongs to God. Bow before that and everything is changed.
We think we're in charge with our science; our life-extending, plague-containing medicine; our satellites; economic systems; generals and admirals; our fire and fury; border patrols; walls and defenses; the next generation of social media, smart bombs and artificial intelligence. We have used our divine gifts wrongly and forgotten that while God has made us co-creators, we remain creatures.
"A king isn't saved by an army; a warrior not delivered by his strength; a war horse is no guarantee of victory, might doesn't save." The psalmist-servant said it; the priest only points to it.
Verses 20-22: The people who call upon and love God as their helper carry within them the life-themes of faith, hope and joy. Only God's world-filling love is sure. Indeed, it is the only real power. The whole world can deny God's sovereignty (or pay polite lip-service) while we live celebrating and congratulating ourselves in political illusion, exploitation, manipulation, self-protection and control.
May we allow God's rule in our lives with joyful, free and happy hearts, full of praise, "as we wait in joyful hope...."
It is Mercy Sunday,/ celebrating the kindness of God we meet in Christ./ We pray for those who have shown us any kindness and support over the years./ May we bring kindness and attention to the little parts of the world which are ours./ We pray to the Lord.
We can feel the great struggle between winter and spring these days./ We pray for ourselves,/ our families and friends/ where there is relational,/ emotional,/ financial or spiritual tension./ We pray to the Lord.
For those who live in disappointment/ or who search for new meaning and purpose./ For the unemployed,/ and those who have lost their way/ or who are suffering despair or fear./ We pray to the Lord.
We ask for a more peaceful and just world./ For leaders who are weak or who have failed their people,/ who use their position and office for personal gain/ or who are corrupted./ We pray to the Lord.
Eastern Christians celebrate Easter today./ We pray for those who are in trouble and who live in fear for their believing./ May the world benefit where Christians reconcile and pattern goodness and love./ We pray to the Lord.
Grant safety to travelers,/ comfort to the sick and those who feel un-enduring/ or who have lost emotional balance./ For health care providers,/ rescuers,/ spouses and siblings./ We ask blessings for the children in our lives./ We pray to the Lord.
This is Winifred Nicholson's painting titled: Easter Monday. A blue and white clay vase, holding forsythia and daffodils, sits on an open window sill in early spring. Daffodils are grown in many places around the world where they have various symbolic meanings. In France, they are a sign of hope. In Wales, the person in the village who is first to see one is assured financial gain. In Japan, daffodils symbolize joy. In The United States, the American Cancer Society calls upon the daffodil to accompany the society's motto, "Hope for a cure." Daffodils celebrate the ten year wedding anniversary.
In China, the daffodil symbolizes, All Things Positive. These days our own country could do with some of that daffodil power where we are devolving into so much anger and negative, divisive hatred. Jesus made seven "I am" statements, all of which are totally positive and worth rehearsing from time to time. May we be seized by their energy on Easter Monday.
Jesus said, I am the Bread of Life. John 6:35, 48, 51 Jesus said, I am the Light of the World. John 8:12; 9:5 Jesus said, I am the Door of the Sheep. John 10:7,9 Jesus said, I am the Good Shepherd. John 10:11,14 Jesus said, I am the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:25 Jesus said, I am the Way, the Truth* and the Life. John 14:6 Jesus said, I am the True Vine. John 15:1 *For the Christian, TRUTH isn't statements in a book or even lines in a creed. TRUTH is a life - Christ's life; my life! Following Jesus isn't KNOWING the truth but BEING the truth.
