Elder Joseph's Bold Invitation

Elder Joseph (1898-1959) was a highly regarded, seasoned monk of Mount Athos. In writing about him, one of his monastic disciples offered this extensive quote, reflective of the holy monk's teaching. 

Someone may well come to the last line and say, "Oh, I don't  believe that!" But I'd say, "What a strange and lost people we are—accepting as gospel the bold, even outrageous claims of politicians, stock market indicators, military leaders and advertisers, and we don't believe an elder monk."

The Elder used to tell us that the experience of love for one's neighbor is revealed to him who prays in truth; and more specifically, "When grace is operative in the soul of someone who is praying, then he is flooded with the love of God, so that he can no longer bear what he experiences. Afterwards, this love turns towards the world and man, whom he comes to love so much that he seeks to take upon himself the whole of human pain and misfortune so that everyone else might be freed from it. In general, he suffers with every grief and misery, and even for animals, so that he weeps when he thinks that they are suffering. These are properties of love, but it is prayer that activates them and calls them forth. This is why those who are advanced in prayer do not cease to pray for the world. To them belongs even the continuation of life, however strange and audacious this may seem. And you should know that, if such people disappear, then the end of this world will come."  

Duccio's Agony in the Garden

Here is Duccio's painting of Jesus' Agony in the Garden, one of the twenty-six Passion Account scenes from his early Renaissance, Maesta altarpiece. You can click on the image to hear a teaching-meditation in the Lenten time.

People are Dying Alone ~ We Can Escort Them

This painting by James Tissot (1836-1902)  is titled: "Good Friday Morning, Jesus in Prison." It depicts a rarely seen theme. We know it is morning as the light in the background is low, as if it is streaming in through the prison window. The heavily armored soldiers have fallen asleep. Perhaps they have worn themselves out with their torments. Jesus is chained to a low pillar. In his loneliness and grief, he raises his eyes and opens his hands like a priest at Mass. The painting might have been titled: The Loneliness of Jesus.

Tissot has Jesus dressed in a brown robe and not the white robe we are accustomed to seeing. There is a tender legend that says, Mary sewed this brown robe (the color of the earth) for Jesus when he was a little boy, and that it never wore out, but grew as Jesus grew into manhood. 

This morning I heard a nurse on the news sharing, that of all the sad things she's seeing these days of Covid health crisis, the saddest is that people are dying alone—their relatives and friends not being allowed into the hospital to be with them because of infection fears.

Last week someone asked me about the aspect of priesthood that I most treasure. I'd say it's being asked to pray the prayers for a departing soul. I've prayed these prayers in hospitals, nursing homes and  hospice rooms countless times. I've always felt honored to walk prayerfully with a person as far as I can, before they cross over from life, through death, to life again. Before this health criss, I would bend over near the person's ear, believing they could  hear the reassuring beauty of the rite.

Then I thought, I could record some of the ritual and we could all join in, imagining our presence at the deathbeds of the people around the world who have no one to pray with them in their last hours or minutes. In Christ, there's no wristwatch time or space. 

The prayers found in the 1964 edition of the Roman Ritual are not to be offered quickly, so if you're in a hurry, it might be better to wait until you can find a quieter, slower time.

You can click on the Tissot painting to hear the prayers.

To Help Calm Our Nerves

This splendid and perfectly preserved painting of the Mother of God is titled, The Madonna of Humility. It was painted by Jacope di Cione somewhere around 1365. The word humility comes from the Latin, humus, which means good earth. Mary is "down to earth" about herself—she sees herself as God's good servant (of one mind with God), that she is the grateful recipient of God's marvels, that she stands in solidarity with the world's poor and those denied justice.

Perhaps di Cione has suggested Mary's down-to-earth-ness by placing her, not on a grand throne, but on a hidden low chair or even a stool. And she is seated in a garden—all around her are birds, vines, low-growing and flowering plants. The background is gold: in the Incarnation, heaven and earth meet, and gold reflects the light which is most like, yet unlike, earth-light.

Mary's mantle (her maphorion) is a lovely blue, carefully decorated along the edges. The swaddling blanket which wraps the Holy Child is brilliant with stylized leaves. Perhaps that's a large and open pomegranate in the center of the blanket—a symbol of the Resurrection. Mary holds the Infant Christ dearly and securely. She looks at Him while he looks out at  us. With his gazing, he wants to reassure us, especially in times of  fear and insecurity, "Look, this is how heaven holds you; loves you!" Mary creates this atmosphere of love around Christ, yes, but also around us. Indeed, around all the world.

To help steady us these unnerving days, click on the picture and listen to the Benedictine Monks of Notre Dame de Fontgombault sing the Gradual from the Mass of the Assumption—Audi,Filia. The Gradual is (in the Mass many of us grew up with) a psalm verse between the readings (here psalm 44). Listen deeply. Notice the monks don't take big breaths all at once. They seem to sneak breaths so the chant can move seamlessly, like gentle waves. The last word, ejus, is sung on 37 notes! Let it carry you. See the English translation is below.

Listen,  daughter, and see, and incline thy ear: and the King shall greatly desire thy beauty. The daughter of the King comes in, all beautiful: her robes are of golden cloth.

Intercessions ~ Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Hellebore ~ Lenten Rose

For the people whose work keeps our country running:/ food suppliers,/ truck drivers,/ pharmacists,/ police and fire departments,/ first-responders/ and those who work in clinics,/ hospitals and nursing homes./ We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis,/ who during this time of global epidemic,/ accompanies and invites us to prayer,/ hope,/ and the encouragement to good works./ May he be kept in good health./ We pray to the Lord.

For those who are out of work,/ whose families are suddenly experiencing financial crisis./ For the safety of those who put themselves totally at the service of the sick./ We pray to the Lord.

May this time of life-threatening sickness/ teach us the value of every human life./ May we make no room in our national life for the hatred of others./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for the President of the United States,/ our Congress and all who are in positions of authority./ For those who during this time of global sickness,/ calculate to make money off the suffering of others./ We pray to the Lord.

For the many thousands who have died recently,/ for those who mourn them./ We ask blessings for those whose work is to bury the dead./ We pray to the Lord.

Show us your mercy, O Lord...

This 17th century Rembrandt painting, The Storm on the Sea of Galilee, used to hang in the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, until it was stolen, along with a dozen other priceless paintings, on March 18, 1990. The paintings have never been recovered. Art theft is a "skill" of organized crime—a window into the sometimes awfulness of life on this planet. I remember walking into the room, seeing the empty frames on the wall, and being told of the theft. What sadness.

And now, the whole world is suffering (like being out on a life-threatening stormy sea) the losses and heartache of this Coronavirus health crisis. 

At the end of the Anglican Morning Prayer service there is a little exchange of prayers called suffrages that we might pray these days. Suffrages are prayers of intercession on behalf of others. They are generally said or sung back and forth (versicle & response) between a leader and congregation or choir.

V.  Show us your mercy, O Lord;

R.  And grant us your salvation.

V.  Clothe your ministers with righteousness;

R.  Let your people sing with joy.

V.  Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;

R.  For only in you can we live in safety.

V.  Lord, keep this nation under your care;

R.  And guide us in the way of justice and truth.

V.  Let your way be known upon earth;

R.  Your saving health among all nations.

V.  Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten;

R.  Nor the hope of the poor be taken away.

V.  Create in us clean hearts, O God;

R.  And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.

To help us pray ~ another decade of the rosary these stressful days

Someone asked, (not unreasonably) if these kinds of prayers "work" — do they impact the world in any way? I can't answer that. Ultimately, what matters is that my heart would be changed — that my heart would expand, become more aware and beat in solidarity with the world wherever it is pained. Compassion is the sign of one who is spiritually alive and mature. You can click on the picture above to hear the rosary prayers, or just read them at your own pace.

Our Father...

I pray for the many millions of people around the world who are homeless, many of them in our own country, and who are especially vulnerable in this time of grave sickness.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the millions of people who are refugees and who have no safeguards for themselves and their children. May no one be forgotten or without friendship.

Hail Mary...

May we be intelligent persons who are able to sort fact from fiction. For those who promote racist blaming. For those who spread conspiracy theories. 

Hail Mary...

I pray for the conversion of those who seek to make profits off of this time of sickness by ramping up the cost of products that are most needed to safeguard the vulnerable.

Hail Mary...

For those who do the heroic service of tending to the sick in hospitals and nursing homes, putting their own lives at risk. For the many people who clean buildings, trains, buses, planes and medical facilities. For their safety and wellbeing.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the people who live in the most densely populated cities.  For all the people who are feeling afraid. For the safety of those who provide essential services. 

Hail Mary...

I pray that we would learn the lessons we need to learn—caring for our planet, caring for each other, the importance of every human life, the putting away of partisan loyalties that can be a kind of false worship.

Hail Mary...

For our families in their stresses and anxious concerns—for the children who are not in school, the ones who are feeling cut off or stressed, whose jobs and financial security are at risk.

Hail Mary...

May we watch out for each other and find news ways to stay in touch with, not only those who are our closest family and friends, but those who might be feeling very alone.

Hail Mary...

I pray for my own health and strength, that I might be able to continue what God has in mind for me to do during these stressful days.

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...

Newman's Prayer Through the Darkness

Here is a painting of the young Anglican priest, John Henry Newman (1801-90). Scroll down a bit to read his well-known poem, Lead Kindly Light.  Perhaps you'll recognize the words as lyrics to a much-loved hymn. 

Newman wrote about the circumstances surrounding the poem's composition—a time of his grave sickness (perhaps typhoid fever) fear, pain and emotional confusion while detained in Italy, away from home. The poem is a timely prayer for us, living now through these long days of global sickness and suffering.

"Before starting from my inn, I sat down on my bed and began to sob bitterly. My servant, who had acted as my nurse, asked what ailed me. I could only answer, 'I have a work to do in England.' I was aching to get home, yet for want of a vessel I was kept at Palermo for three weeks. I began to visit the churches, and they calmed my impatience, though I did not attend any services. At last I got off in an orange boat, bound for Marseilles. We were becalmed for a whole week in the Straits of Bonifacio, and it was there that I wrote the lines, Lead Kindly Light, which have since become so well known."

Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom,
     Lead Thou me on;
The night is dark, and I am far from  home,
     Lead Thou me on.
Keep Thou my feet, I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
     Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
     Lead Thou me on.
I loved the garish day; and, spite of fears,
pride ruled my will: remember not past years.

So long Thy power hath blest me, sure it still
     Will lead me on
O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till
     The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile,
Which I have loved long since, and lost a while.

A few thoughts. In the first verse, Newman is addressing God as Light. Like the Hebrews who were led by a pillar of fire through the Sinai, he asks to be led through his personal night, which presses in all around him. We can feel his loneliness. He asks God to secure him through that darkness. He doesn't ask to see the end of the journey (which is not just geographical, but interior). We might be reminded of the AA dictum, "One day at a time."

The second verse is a profound expression of repentance for past errors. He spells it out: having no thought of God, his calling the shots, his arrogance. A garish life is showy, crude, wasteful and excessive. He asks simply for God to forget all of that. Repentance means, to turn.

In the final verse, Newman shares that he knows (hindsight is 20/20) that God has upheld him all along and that he trusts God will continue to do so. "Moor, fen, crag and torrent" are not simply geographical features he'll traverse getting back to England, but inner challenges. And he knows that when he has come out the other side of this turbulent time, which he likens to a morning, he will encounter angel faces. But Newman understood human friendship better than many. These are the angel faces he has in mind. Thinking of heavenly angel faces after death is too facile. Newman wrote in another place about friendship:

"The best preparation for loving the world at large and loving it deeply and wisely, is to cultivate our friendship and affection towards those who are immediately about us."

Perhaps coronavirus will teach us something new about friendship.

Psalm 100 ~ A psalm for those who govern—and all of us really

Psalm 100 is called a Royal Psalm. It could have been prayed by a king on inauguration day, maybe even used as an oath of office. But there aren't many kings and queens left in the world today, so more broadly we might recommend it as a prayer for anyone who governs or leads—presidents prime ministers, premiers, senators, representatives, governors, mayors. In the life of the Church—popes, cardinals, bishops, pastors, ministry directors.

A lot of people in leadership are unhappy, cynical, selfish, angry. By contrast, notice how the psalm-praying king begins, "I will sing of love and justice; I will sing to you, O Lord. I will walk in the way of perfection." The words perfect or blameless life don't refer to right morality, but a life that's rooted in God's own love and justice. And justice doesn't mean doling out "the punishment that fits the crime" but effecting what is best for everyone, not just those who comprise the ruler's "base" or insider orbit.

The psalmist-ruler prays, "When will you come to me?" Is the king feeling God's absence or just a profound sense of inadequacy before assuming leadership? It's a godless leader who feels he's got the power, that he alone can fix it. This king makes known his need for God; he's not afraid to sing about his commitment to God's rule of justice and compassion. This king believes that God is the real ruler—God's love is the only real power. 

But this psalm might be prayed by all of us, don't you think? We all know what it is to feel God's absence. The cross is the  ultimate symbol of loss and divine absence. Remember the crucified Jesus praying, "My God, my God why have you abandoned me?" Jesus represents God's faithful love and mercy in the face of all the losses. "Into your hands I commend my spirit," Jesus then prays.

We take great pride (even boast) of our frequently quoted motto or national theme, that we live by the rule of law. But this psalm says rule of law isn't  enough. The character of the one who governs and how that character impacts the ones who are governed—that's what matters most. We're having a hard time today living true to our national name: UNITED States - bitter, exhausted, divided. Something has gone very wrong. Maybe this terrible, afflicting virus will restore us to unity.

Years ago when I was a teacher in Manhattan, our principal went around telling the children, "Just do the right thing." But what does that even mean? Right conduct can be a superficial thing, "Everybody be quiet, the teacher's coming!" But right conduct flows from one's commitments—the values one holds most dearly, one's inner standards: the dignity of each and every person, integrity, possessing a clean heart.

We know the expression, "dirty or crooked politicians"  the ones who are greedy, narcissistic, arrogant, obstructive, self-serving. I'd suggest, for all the leaders in any capacity and for all of us, this psalm's message is: "It's God's world—live like you believe it." 

Mother Julian's Prayer

David Holgate's statue of Julian (2014) Norwich Cathedral

Julian (Julianna) of Norwich (1342-1416) lived during times of tremendous danger and uncertainty. The plague swept through Norwich three times. Here is one of her prayers, beautifully sharing with us, centuries later, her fundamental beliefs about God and us. It is love that defines us, not sin.

In You,  Father all-mighty,
we have our preservation and our bliss.
In You, Christ, we have our restoring
and our saving.
You are our mother, brother, and Saviour.
In You, our Lord the Holy Spirit,
is marvelous and plenteous grace.
You are our clothing;
for love You wrap us and embrace us.
You are our maker, our lover, our keeper.
Teach us to believe that by Your grace
all shall be well, and all shall be well,
and all manner of things shall be well.
Amen.

"The greatest honor we can give Almighty God is to live gladly because of the knowledge of His Love."  Julianna of Norwich

A Rosary Decade During a Time of Global Sickness

This is a touching painting titled, Old Lady with Rosary by the Scottish painter George Fiddes Watt (1873-1960). The painting is found in the Aberdeen Art Gallery and Museum in Scotland. This elderly woman isn't having an easy time of it, is she? The room is so poor it's hard to describe. The curtains and her clothes are threadbare. The table is worn. Is that a dirt floor?

Everything seems dark, except her rosary, which is at the very center of the painting and seems to even glow, like jewels. She's sitting at her prayer, somewhat stooped. We can imagine she has a lot on her mind. Perhaps she is a widow, lonely and worried about money. How much longer will she be able to pay the rent on her shabby space. Has she outlived any children? If not, are they still around or have they thrown her away. What is happening in her world that might be causing her anxiety? Or, maybe her prayer isn't about worry or sorrow at all, but simply gratitude for the sunlight and the little soup bowl we see steaming on her table.

We might want to join her in prayer. I've put up a rosary decade's worth of short one-line prayers here. You can click on the painting to hear them and the accompanying "Hail Mary's" or just read them at your leisure. 

I hope this rosary decade helps us to stay in touch during these days of distance and isolation.

Our Father...

I pray for anyone who has tested positive for the Coronavirus. I pray in solidarity with those who are critically ill.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the first-responders, the doctors and nurses, the aids and housekeeping staffs, who are closest to the sick. For those who in labs are working for a vaccine.

Hail Mary...

I pray for people all around the world who are filled with anxiety, distraction, fatigue or depression—who are suffering from the uncertainty of our times.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the world's leaders—asking for them to be truthful, uniters, to lead without hidden agenda or to use this crisis for their own ends.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the employers who are struggling to keep their businesses going. For those who have been furloughed or lost their jobs, who are burdened with financial worries.

Hail Mary...

I pray for those who are using this pandemic to scapegoat others, to blame or divide people. For those who should be helping, but instead are provoking racism and hatred.

Hail Mary...

I pray for the countries which have suffered the greatest number of Coronavirus deaths. For those who are quarantined at home or who are away from loved ones. 

Hail Mary...

I pray for the more than eight million children worldwide who are not in school these days.We pray not to lose hope or faith in the love of God—God who has shown us a great suffering-love in Jesus crucified.

Hail Mary...

Standing at the cross with Mary, we ask to keep our eyes set on Easter and God's promise that we are not to be overcome with sorrows and troubles. 

Hail Mary...

May affection increase among us. May we discover new ways of expressing affection and unity. May our hearts remain grateful.

Hail Mary...

Glory be to the Father...


Thank you for joining the prayer. God bless you and your family and friends—keep you safe; keep you well.

Prayer ~ Let us Flee to that Calm...

This splendid 18th century, Peruvian painting, Madonna and Child with Bird, is found in the Denver Art Museum. We can make an imaginary visit there, entering the room where the image is safely kept. Hearts filled with anxious concerns we can offer this prayer.

O ye people, let us flee to that calm and good haven,
The speedy helper and ready and fervent salvation,
The protection of the Virgin,
And let us make haste to prayer
And speed to repentance.
For the all-pure Mother of God
Pours forth upon us inexhaustible mercies,
She goes before to help us
And delivers her good-hearted
And God-fearing servants
From great evils and misfortune.

Intercessions ~ Fourth Sunday in Lent

With Pope Francis,/ we pray for families to discover new ways of loving each other these days,/ and may we creatively care for those who feel abandoned./ We pray to the Lord.

During this time of global sickness,/ we pray for first-responders,/ doctors,/ nurses and those who work in labs./ For civil leaders to have clean hearts,/ concerned only with helping their people./ We pray to the Lord.

More than eight million children and young people are out of school around the world these days./ We pray for them,/ their teachers and parents./ We pray to the Lord. 

We pray for all who are living in anxiety and uncertainty./ For those who have been furloughed or laid off,/ whose financial problems are overwhelming,/ who are feeling desperate./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for all who are away from their worship communities this weekend;/ may we remain strong in faith,/ hope and love./ May we remain God's grateful servants,/ taking nothing for granted./ We pray to the Lord.

For those who are sick,/ mindful that some are not tended to in their illness/ for the many who have died around the world these recent weeks,/ and for those who mourn them./ We pray to the Lord.

Prayer of St. Aloysius Gonzaga to the Virgin Mary

This is a rather remarkable painting of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, (1569-1591) the young Jesuit novice who died in Rome at the age of twenty-three while caring for plague victims. 

Here we see him kneeling with his head resting against a Gospel page. The room is filled with morning light. The lily alongside him, at the edge of the kneeler, reminds us of Jesus' beatitude words, "Blessed are the clean of heart, they shall see God." There is a carved image of the Mother of God on the side wall before which he may well have prayed his prayer. 

O holy Mary, my Queen,

into your blessed trust and special keeping,

into the heart of your tender mercy,

this day, everyday of my life

and at the hour of my death,

I entrust my soul and body;

to you I entrust all my hopes and consolations,

all my trials and miseries,

my life and the end of my life,

that through your most holy intercession and your merits,

all my actions may be ordered

and directed according to your will

and that of your divine Son.

Amen.

Prayer to the Mother of God During Unsettling Times

Here is the Chapel of The Mother of God ~ Life-Giving Spring, hidden away in the Starorusskiy forest of Russia. Look, the doors are open!  Notice the single cupola on the top of the chapel. It is designed to shed snow, but all the more it is a stylized candle, expressing that this little house is warmed and enlightened by hearts at prayer.

Here is the icon we would encounter inside. The Theotokos (Mother of God) and her Divine Child sit in a kind of mountainous fountain. Water flows and pools up where the elderly, the weak and the sick come in their vulnerability and need—the anxious mother with her infant; the old man with his pitcher; the fragile woman who seems to crawl to the pool, leaning on its edge; the mother escorting her blind boy; a young man with diseased skin walking on hand crutches. 

And here is the prayer Christians have prayed to the Mother of God in times of need since the 3rd century! It is the oldest  prayer in existence dedicated to the Virgin Mary. In Latin it is titled: Sub tuum praesidium. The word praesidium is a powerful word— referring to the strong assistance given to young troops going off in times of war.  Fighting a devastating disease, the world needs this prayer today, doesn't it?  In our imagination, we might enter the chapel where we can stand before the icon, to pray deeply from the heart.

Beneath your compassion

we take refuge, O Mother of God,

do not despise our petitions in time of trouble

but rescue us from dangers,

only pure, only blessed one.

Prayer During the Time of Coronavirus

Here is a photograph of the crucifix for the new Cathedral of St. Olav in Norway. It is modeled after a Medieval Crucifix. We might be mindful that the Middle Ages were a time of plague and death. 

Maybe you were taught the Anima Christi prayer when you were a child. I pray it at the end of every Mass. Perhaps you need a prayer right now. Maybe you are feeling isolated or lonely. Maybe you're not feeling well or are afraid for your health or the well being of dear ones. 

Maybe you want to pray for the boots-on-the-ground people who are helping to lead us through this unsettling time. Maybe you want to pray for the elderly and anyone whose health is already weakened or compromised. Maybe you're sad about not being able to be at Mass these days. This is a soul-healing prayer. Pray it with me often, slowly and from your inner felt-place.

Soul of Christ, sanctify me,

Body of Christ, save me,

Blood of Christ, inebriate me,

Water from the side of Christ, wash me,

Passion of Christ, strengthen me,

Oh good Jesus, hear me,

Within thy wounds, hide me,

Suffer me not to be separated from thee,

From the malignant enemy, defend me

At the hour of my death, call me,

And close to you, bid me

That with thy saints, I may be

  praising thee,

  forever and ever.

Amen.

The Fontgombault Christ - The All-Inclusive Eyes of Jesus

"What the Word does for our ears, the icon does for our eyes."

This lovely icon was painted by a monk of the Abbey of Notre Dame de Fontgombault in France. Do you get the feeling Jesus is walking? And do you recall these two verses from St. Matthew's Gospel? I've added the italics for emphasis.

He went round the whole of Galilee teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and illness among the people  Matthew 4:23 

Jesus made a tour through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing all kinds of disease and all kinds of illness. Matthew 9:35 

St. Matthew tells us (St. Luke does as well) that Jesus lived on the road. He didn't build a building where people had to come to him—he went out to them. Every word of the verses matters, and Matthew has chosen words that fill us in on the expanse of Jesus' reach and gaze: round, whole, tour, all (three times!)

The icon-writing monk understands. Notice the direction of Jesus' eyes—as if he is starting to look around in a great circle. No one (myself included) is excluded. Every one, every place, every kind is included. His eyes say all. Churches that put out welcome signs on the lawn need to think twice about the inclusive breadth of that word. An awful lot of people aren't feeling it.

Notice too, the icon is filled with light. When we're living in and by the light, we can see where we need to go and who is not being included. A trans-woman was horribly murdered and when her family was tracked down years later and claimed her body, they asked the local priest for a funeral Mass. He responded, "No, and it wouldn't make any difference anyway, she's in hell already." It's simply not Christ's way, which is the way of round, whole, tour, all, all, all. 

Some people will want to qualify it, put conditions on it, walk out on it, but there it is. Christ's all, will not be whittled away.

Intercessions ~ Third Sunday in Lent

We pray for the many who are sick with the coronavirus,/ and their families,/ for those who are quarantined,/ the volunteers who are helping,/ the doctors,/ nurses and lab workers,/ the elderly in nursing homes,/ and those in prison./ We pray to the Lord.

For Pope Francis,/ who celebrates his 7th anniversary as pope this week,/ and who helps us to have the mind of Christ./ For those who resent or even resist him./ In the Lenten time,/ may the Church experience something of the springtime Christ desires for us./ We pray to the Lord.

One in seven children suffers hunger in our country./ We ask for a new awareness of  God's justice,/ that the sin and scandal of child-hunger would be resolved and forgiven./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray with St. Paul at Mass today,/ that we would not become discouraged or cynical,/ but remain confident in God's love which emboldens us to live and act in the Holy Spirit./ We pray to the Lord.

We pray for those who lead nations and states around the world,/ may they be mature souls,/ who pattern self-forgetting,/ non-aggression and goodness./ We pray to the Lord.

For our families and friends,/ and those with us at Mass today./ We ask for good health,/ safety,/ well-being,/ inner freedom and peace./ We pray to the Lord.

The Syriac Wonder-Working Icon of the Mother of God

Sitting in a diner at breakfast time this morning, I was just given my laminated menu when an elderly woman in the next booth, having breakfast with a friend, whistled through her fingers, summoning the young waitress. You know the sound—the kind of shrill, single-note whistle we'd associate with a man demanding his off-in-the-weeds dog return. Then I heard her laugh to her friend, "Oh, that was rude."

A great vulgarity has been unleashed. I fear we are no longer evolving, but devolving. And I thought, "How will we ever invite a woman to lead us as president when we can't manage giving a hardworking, young waitress her dignity?" 

What to do? I considered calling out this woman on her ugly behaviour, as I made my way to the door—but these are dangerous times, people weaponized and unpredictable. So when I returned home, I remembered that I had this photograph of the Wonder-Working, Syrian Mother of God icon. I've left the photograph large, so you can see her soft smile. She'll help me to recover from this exposure to low-end behaviour. And now to ask her for what we need as a nation:

O Wonder-Working Lady,
Mother of God
Mother of wounded Syria,
  and our Mother too—
We need more 
stargazers, 
wave-watchers,
songbird admirers and
forest bathers.

We need more
stream listeners,
rose inhalers,
honey bee wonder-rs,
nature mystery sleuths and
cloud contemplators.

We need more
moon phase ponderers,
seed planters,
animal rescuers,
beauty imagine-rs,
Latin chanters and
icon gazers.

We need more 
soil diggers,
green sprout detectors,
roadside recyclers,
beauty creators and
silence imaginers.

O Lady,
heal us by your
wide-eyed,
knowing gaze,
your gentle-ing smile,
your wisdom-filled mind 
  radiating new thoughts.
Save us by
  the gift of your effulgent son,
  Jesus, 
  the all courteous,
  all compassionate,
  all gracious one.

Amen.

Christ Before Annas the High Priest and Peter's Denial

This painting by Duccio de Buoninsegna is one of twenty-six images the artist created for the back of the Maesta altarpiece in the Cathedral of Siena at the start of the 14th century. Click on the image to hear a teaching about the two Gospel scenes Duccio has creatively combined into one. The account is found  in St. John's Gospel 18:12-27.

You can scroll back over the past couple of weeks to hear reflections on Duccio's Farewell to His Disciples and Jesus Washing the Feet of His Disciples.

Intercessions ~ Second Sunday in Lent

Christ Blessing ~ El Greco ~ c1600

In the hearing of the Transfiguration Gospel at Mass today,/ may we be drawn to Christ,/ who is radiant in light./ In a dark world,/ may we search for/ and be promoters of light./ We pray to the Lord. 

In the Lenten time,/ we ask for the renewal and revitalization of the Church where it has grown weak/ or lost its way./ For the health,/ safety and strength of Pope Francis./ We pray to the Lord.

For the President of the United States,/ our congress and those who are seeking public office in an election year./ May the world be blessed with leaders who are decent people/ with servant hearts./ We pray to the Lord.

A powerful tornado has left twenty-four people dead,/ many injured or missing in Nashville, Tennessee this week./ We pray for the healing of that community/ and for all who are helping in recovery efforts./ We pray to the Lord.

As the Coronavirus spreads,/ we pray for those who are afflicted/ and for those who are helping in hospitals,/ clinics and research labs./ For the poor countries with limited resources to care for the sick./ We pray to the Lord.

We entrust our families and our friends to the healing Christ,/ mindful of those who are physically,/ spiritually,/ financially or emotionally unwell./ For those who are lonely,/ without family or friend./ We pray to the Lord.

Duccio's Jesus Washing the Feet of the Apostles

Here is another meditation or teaching using Duccio's painting of Jesus Washing the Feet of the Apostles. We might also want to look again at St. John's Gospel, Chapter 13. 

"What the Word does for our ears, the icon does for our eyes." 

Scala Santa

In Rome, there is a long staircase called the Scala Santa - the Holy Stairs. These are the twenty-eight marble steps that led to Pontius Pilate's Praetorium in Jerusalem. At some point the stairs were dismantled and brought to Rome, where pilgrims have climbed them on their knees for centuries as an act of repentance for the sins of the world.

It's an uncomfortable climb. Some people don't understand and mock the experience. To each his own. But while making the climb, I wrote short, one-line prayers along the way. I recently found the prayer again in the sabbatical journal I kept, and am pleased to share it with you now, at the start of Lent. I've added two subsequent prayers. 

Jesus - for the wars we create
Jesus - for our neglect and indifference towards you
Jesus - for the deals we make and the preparations for war
Jesus - for our sexual violence
Jesus - for our abandonment of children
Jesus - for our killing of children

Jesus - for the lies of church and government
Jesus - for the abuses of power
Jesus - for national greed
Jesus - for our veneration of guns
Jesus - for our selfish disregard of others
Jesus - for the hatred that results in murders


Jesus - for the destruction of the land, the water, the animals, the air
Jesus - for our racial and religious prejudice
Jesus - for the sins against justice that keeps people poor
Jesus - for the wasting of your gifts; our life-denying addictions
Jesus - for our refusal to share
Jesus - for our idolatry of possessions and power


Jesus - for our pretending not to see
Jesus - for squandering our riches on ourselves
Jesus - for our judgments of division and hatred
Jesus - for arrogant thinking - only we are right
Jesus - for our lack of joy in you
Jesus - for the torture and enslavement of people


Jesus - for our superficiality and obsession with fun, ease and comfort
Jesus - for our ignorance of your Gospel and the trivialization of your Word
Jesus - for our dishonesty, lust, entitlement, violence and lack of repentance
Jesus - for our inhospitality, our sending people away
Jesus - for the sins of the clergy