Real Time or God Time

Last night I caught a snippet of HBO's "Real Time with Bill Maher."  I had never seen the show because I don't like Maher as an on screen journalist, if you could call him that, but while channel surfing I heard the word "religion." Being who I am, that sparked my curiosity so I kept the channel on.  He was introducing Penn Jillette from the duo Penn and Teller.  Penn and Teller are magicians and comedians and Jillette is an espoused atheist and libertarian. Maher was interviewing him to promote Jillette's new book "God, No."  I don't know what makes Jillette an expert on religion, but he stated that he was in youth group as a teen and read the entire Bible and that anyone who really reads it will come to the conclusion that there is no God. "The best way to become an atheist is to read the Bible,"he said. He agreed with Maher that the Old Testament is full of some horrible things but  Jillette added that the New Testament is just as horrifying and is anti-family saying that it basically states, "No matter how much you love your family, love Jesus more."  He sees something terribly wrong with that. He also spoke of morality and stated that  if you are doing what you are doing for a reward or because of fear of eternal punishment then it's not really moral living. He said we should live moral lives  out of love and out of love alone.

The problem I see with Jillette's logic is in his reading of scripture. He is reading it on the surface only, without digging deeper and certainly without prayer. He did admit that to come to his conclusion he did not study the scriptures  but read them almost like an historical text.  I just can't abide by his assessment of what the scriptures are saying. Yes, Jesus is asking us to put Him first, but in doing so, we are not abandoning our families but loving them all the more. To put Jesus first is to follow His Way, to live a life striving for holiness in our relationships with God and with all humanity, especially our families.

With regard to morality I agree with Jillette that we should live moral lives out of love and out of love alone. But here we part company. We must strive to live morally out of love, but we are not perfect people and just as young children learn by giving positive and negative reinforcement, God encourages us to live good lives by offering us the heavenly reward and instilling a fear of eternity in hell.  Hopefully as we grow and mature in our relationship with Christ, we will live good and holy lives out of Love of God alone.  But there is nothing wrong with "the fear of God," as motivation to living a moral life as we progress toward perfection. 

As I stated, I never watched Bill Maher before and I probably never will again. As a self admitted "former Catholic," he sees nothing wrong with bashing religion and a quick look on YouTube at past episodes show that he seems to enjoy it. As for Penn Jilliette, I could do without him and his partner as well. I never found them funny or entertaining, and I have a problem with show business personalities speaking as experts on religion and politics, especially when they take cheap shots at Christianity or any religion for that matter.

Christianity and Catholicism especially seem to be acceptable targets for ridicule these days, especially in the media. We also know that Christians are being persecuted and martyred in the Middle East, in Asia and other areas of the world, but this kind of persecution is more subtle.  No one dies, no one is hurt, but we have a gradual eroding of faith especially among those who are vulnerable to believing most of what they see and hear in the medial. We seem to just sit back and let it happen.  Perhaps it is time to fight back with prayer, fasting and speaking out when we see this kind of ridicule and spreading of lies about our faith.  It is time to stand up for Christ.

Read the Bible

St. Jerome by Caravaggio

St. Jerome, whose feast day is today, is noted for translating the Scriptures from the original languages into Latin, what is called the Vulgate.  He is also noted for the quote, "Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ." I believe that this statement rings true more than most people would think.

In my ministry of educating adults, I am surprised how little people know about the scriptures, especially the younger adults. In the Scripture classes I teach, the stories and people I learned about in elementary school are often are unfamiliar to my students. More and more of them have never actually read the Scriptures and their only contact with the inspired word of God is what they hear at Mass on Sunday or from the bible "documentaries" found on television, which are often filled with inaccuracies and conjecture. Yet after hearing the stories of our faith history and "meeting" the personalities in the written word, my students eyes are opened up to the beauty of the Scriptures and the awareness that there is more to the Bible than just what they hear on Sunday.  This also happens, sometimes in a dramatic way, in RCIA with those in the process who are discovering the Scriptures for the first time.

I agree with St. Jerome.  You can't really know Christ without reading the Scriptures, and that holds true for the Hebrew Scriptures as well as the Christian Scriptures. The stories in the Old Testament point to Christ, they prepare us for His coming. Many years ago I heard at a parish mission that BIBLE stands for "Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth." I thought is was cute and wrote it inside the front cover of my bible. Years later, every time I look at those words, I realize how true it is. There is a reason the Bible has been the best selling book of all time. Within those pages are  the tools and teachings we need to live a good Christian life and to come to truly know Christ.  Add prayer and meditation to the reading of Scripture and our reading becomes not static words on a page but a loving conversation with God. Add to that the wisdom and tradition of the Church, and the Scriptures become part of our lives as Catholic Christians. 

There was a time when all families had a Bible.  Inside was often kept family records, births, marriages, deaths, and despite what some people think, Catholics did read it and were encouraged to read it. I don't think the family bible is something that is important anymore, and I am sure there are many families that don't even own one.  Christmas is less than three months away, why not give someone you love the gift of coming to know Christ in the pages of the Holy Bible.

God speaks

School is back in session here on Long Island and as the first full week of classes begin so does the parish ministry year. Starting last Wednesday and up until this Thursday I count 8 meetings that I have attended or am supposed to attend here in the parish and on the diocesan level and there are more meetings coming up. Since I will be missing two weeks of work due to my surgery this coming Monday, there are so many things that have to be done before my last day of work on Sunday.  Not a good time of year for it to be necessary to take time off.  I wish this surgery could have been done in the summer, but things being the way they are it just didn't work out that way.  I guess there really is no good time for this kind of thing but hopefully all will go well and it will only be two weeks.  If not, then I am looking at a six week recovery.

As I have said in previous posts, I am  not that nervous about it and I think I am well prepared, but just to be sure I have Confession and Anointing of the Sick on my "to do" list for the weekend. Pre-op testing was this morning and all I need now is clearance from my primary physician. I find it amazing how God speaks the words I need to hear, just when I need to hear them. On Friday night I was at a meeting and someone asked if I would proclaim the first reading.  This was it:

Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with  you. (Philippians 4:6-9)



Sunset in Assisi by Jo-Ann Metzdorff

Some people call these things coincidence, but for those of us who believe we know that there are no coincidences. The key is to recognize the voice of the Lord when He speaks. We don't need a mountain top experience or the sky to open up to hear His voice...we only need to be open to listening.  What I am hearing from this reading is that when we make prayer a priority in their life, when we dedicate our day to the Lord in praise and thanksgiving, then God will give us the peace that we seek and free us from anxiety.

There is another quote that I found for when things get a bit stressful and anxiety rears its ugly head. It is written by St.Teresa of Avila and is called her "bookmark."  I think this is going to go up on my wall, or at least I'll make my own bookmark.

Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains all that it strives for. He who has God finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices.

Meditation - Part II

Lectio Divina.

Continuing with the Pope's reflections on meditation on August 17, he said:

"To meditate therefore means to create within ourselves an atmosphere of recollection, of interior silence, so as to reflect upon and assimilate the mysteries of our faith, and all that God is doing in us -- and not only the things that come and go. We can "ruminate" in many ways; for instance, by taking a short passage of sacred Scripture, especially the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostle's Letters, or a page from a spiritual author we are drawn to and which makes the reality of God in our today more present, perhaps taking advice from a confessor or spiritual director; by reading and reflecting on what we've just read, pausing to consider it, seeking to understand it, to understand what it says to me, what it says today -- to open our soul to all that the Lord wants to say to us and teach us."

Monk Reading
by Rembrandt

One of the disciplines that Benedictines, and certainly other religious and laity engage in is Lectio Divina or sacred reading.  It is an essential part of their prayer life. This is what the Pope is speaking about.  Lectio is an ancient approach to prayer that involves four stages:

     Lectio - slow and prayerful reading of a passage

     Meditatio - meditating on the passage

     Oratio- praying with the passage, asking God to speak to you through the words

     Contemplatio - allowing God to speak in the silence

Lectio Divina is best when using scripture but it can be practiced using other spiritual authors as the Pope suggests.  I usually reflect on one of the readings of the day for Mass, but I have also used passages from the Office of Readings or from spiritual books I am reading.  In my two year journey with John of the Cross, I often engaged in Lectio Divina using the writings and poetry of this great mystical doctor.

The first step, lectio, involves choosing a passage and reading it slowing a few times. Some suggest that reading it out loud is beneficial. The second step is meditatio.  We take the passage and "ruminate" on the words.  The suggestion I have been given is to "ponder and mull" the words on the page.  This can't be rushed.  Sometimes it takes about fifteen minutes, but other times it has taken me days to meditate on a passage.

What do I like about Lectio Divina?  First, it forces me to be still and silent.  It is difficult to focus and meditate with all the noise that surrounds us each day and the time I spend in sacred reading quiets the noise and brings me to a quiet place. Second, I become immersed in what I am reading, whether it be scripture or other spiritual reading.  It is different than reading for pleasure, or entertainment, or for academic purposes.  Third, the words speak to me personally. In reading and in meditating upon them I come to know God. Fourth, it is truly prayer.  Prayer is lifting of the mind and heart to God, and in sacred reading both the mind and heart are fully engaged in speaking to and listening to God. Finally, in the stillness and silence, I discover what God is telling me through the passage as I simply sit and listen.  This final step, contemplation, is completely in the hands of God.  It is in this step where the stresses and concerns of the day fade into the background and my body relaxes in God's gentle caress.

The Assumption

window at St. Mary's, Manhasset

I have always found the Solemnity of the Assumption to be a great feast, but it seems that, at least over the past few decades, it has sort of faded into the woodwork,  along with many other great feasts and devotions.  Here in the states, because it falls on a Monday, the obligation to attend Mass is abrogated.  That means that most people won't go to Mass to honor Our Lady and celebrate this unique and beautiful feast, and that is a shame.  While I do have a bit of difficulty in my personal relationship with Our Lady, I do know that she cares very much for me even though I don't give her the attention that I should, but I am working on it.  Even so, when I pray the Rosary (which I do every day) and celebrate feasts like this one, I am reminded that we are called to imitate her in her fiat and in her obedience to the Father.

The readings for today's liturgy are wonderful.  I especially like Luke's Gospel of the Visitation. I used this Gospel in a talk I gave about our Blessed Mother twenty years ago. In it I echoed Elizabeth's question, "How does this happen to me, that the Mother of my Lord should come to me?" Yes, she does come to me, and to each and every one of her children who ask for her protection and her intercession.  Today this Gospel reminded me of that,

I thought for today's feast, I would share John Michael Talbot's version of Mary's Magnificat. It is a beautiful rendition and one that I love to sing and to meditate upon.  

Lessons from my Grandfather



Grandma & Grandpa at my wedding in 1977,
11 months before he died.



Today's readings speak of accepting foreigners.  I am not going to write about the political rights and wrongs regarding immigration and protecting our borders as that is too political an issue for me to deal with.  I first want to write about my grandfather.  Sergio DiTerlizzi was born  in 1908 in  Bisceglie, Italy, a farming town on the Adriatic in the provence of Bari. Unlike many immigrants who came to our shores via Ellis Island, Grandpa came here illegally. He arrived in Brooklyn, NY and found work delivering ice with men from his home town who were already established there. He met my grandmother, Josephine, a first generation Italian American whose father was also from  Bisceglie. He married her, eloping since her family did not approve of him, maybe because of his illegal status, maybe because they didn't think he would make anything of himself having harldly any formal education.  Eventually, years later, he had to go to Canada so he could legally enter the United States and become a citizen.

He came here to find a better life, and his was one of the great American success stories.  Grandpa went from delivering ice to delivering coal, and eventually started his own home fuel oil business in Brooklyn. The business was so successful that in his early 50's he and Grandma retired and became "snow birds" with homes in Florida and New York.  He also dabbled in real estate and even owned a race horse. My Dad took over the business until he sold it  in his early 50's when he and Mom also retired to Florida.



Jeus and the Canaanite Woman 
Annibale Carracci



In today's first reading the Lord says through the prophet Isaiah (56:6-7) that He will bring foreigners to His Holy Mountain and that their offerings to Him will be acceptable.  God's Love and Mercy even extends to the pagans who seek Him with a sincere heart.  These had to be difficult words for the Isralites to accept.  In Matthew's Gospel (15:21-28), Jesus heals the daughter of a Canaanite woman.  The Canaanties were despised by the Jews, and even the disciples of our Lord wanted to send her away.  Yet, Jesus praises her for her faith. This too must have upset His followers. They were the Chosen People. Why should they accept these foreigners who didn't follow their laws and live the way they did? Some things don't change. Even those immigrants who came to our shores legally in the late 1800's and early 1900's, those from Italy and Ireland and the European Jews among others, were looked down upon by those of "American" birth.  But we are a nation of immigrants, whether our family came over on the Mayflower to escape religious persecution, from Europe to escape poverty, forced against their will from Africa, as refugees from Vietnam or Korea in times of war, or for hundreds of other reasons.

Today we have other foreigners whom many look down upon and are suspicious of, wishing they were not here. Yes, it is true that in a world plagued by terrorism and financial upheval, we need to be cautious as to who we allow to cross our borders. Yet we also must remain aware that they are also children of God and we must not look upon all who are different with suspicion. Many come to our country, as did the early immigrants, looking for a better life for themselves and their children. Archbishop Jose Gomez of Los Angelas, in an address at the annual convention of the Knights of Columbus last week, said, "The Church’s perspective on these issues is rooted in Jesus Christ’s teaching that every human person is created in God’s image and has God-given dignity and rights."

Someone gave my grandfather a chance. Someone didn't look upon  him as someone to be despised and rejected despite how he entered our country. He made a good life for his family and for the generatios that followed. Whatever our political views on the issue of immigration one thing is clear to me, people deserve to be treated with kindness and respect and without prejudice, no matter where they come from, their race or their creed, and we need always remember that we should love all as God Loves all. 

Come to the Water

Peconic Bay from Greenport

One of the great things about living on Long Island is that you are never far from the water, whether it be the Atlantic Ocean, the Long Island Sound, the Great South Bay, or the many inlets, coves, estuaries, and ponds that make up the Island.  I grew up on Long Island and on the water. As a child in Brooklyn (yes it is part of Long Island) I spent summers at Coney Island where both sets of grandparents lived, or on my dad's boat joyfully swimming off the stern or hanging off the bow and we cruised through the bays off Brooklyn.  When we moved to Nassau County  (the "real" Long Island) we actually lived on Reynolds Channel and it was there that I learned to pilot a boat.  We would take trips on dad's boat and when we weren't boating we were down at the beach. Moving to Seaford after I got married found me no more than a mile from the canals and a short 5 mile drive to the beach.  While I don't go boating that often anymore, I do enjoy when we do go out and beach the boat or drift around the bay. I like to kayak, or just sit at the edge of the beach.

Greenport Harbor

So what has all this to do with spirituality? I think a lot. Yesterday my husband and I took a ride to the North Fork, a lovely area of Eastern Long Island filled with vineyards, farm stands, nurseries and quaint little towns. We spent most of the day by the water at Greenport, Orient Point and having lunch on the Sound.  It was a peaceful day and my thoughts turned to the Lord. Jesus loved the water.  Last Sunday's gospel even found Him walking on it.  Wouldn't that be fun! He chose His closest disciples from those who made their living fishing.  Do I know about fishing!  I don't particularly enjoy it, but having lived and live with men who get great enjoyment out of it, I know it takes a certain kind of person since fishing involves planning, preparation, patience, sometimes disappointment, but also a desire for the big haul. No wonder Jesus chose a fisherman to lead the church and used the image of gathering fish to describe those who lead people to Christ.

The beach at Orient and lighthouses at Plum Gut

Orient Point Lighthouse

Jesus also chose water as the means to be re-born in Him.  To me being close to the sea allows me to be closer to Jesus.  Feeling the gentle waves wash over me reminds me of baptism.  But back to Scripture.  Most of the stories of Jesus and water involve trust.  The disciples were afraid of the storms on more than one occasion, and they really didn't trust that Jesus would make it all OK.  No wonder what He admonished them "Oh you of little faith." But upon looking out at the lighthouses in Plum Gut and Orient Point yesterday, I recalled that Christ is our Light. A lighthouse is often used as a contemporary image for Christ, who is the beacon that protects us from crashing against the rocks of destruction and despair and also leads us to the Safe Harbor that He keeps for those who Love Him.

Sometimes we talk about moving off the Island.  It would be nice to live in the mountains or in a small town far away from the city.  But leaving the water would be difficult.  I know God is everywhere but for me, He is present in a special way by the sea.  He is present in all His might in the crashing of the waves. He is present in His gentle touch in the water gently rocking my boat.  He is present in His omnipotence in the vastness of the ocean.  He is present in His Joy as I float and play by the shore.  He is present in His healing ministry as the cool waters cleanse me and refresh me.  And He is present in all His glory in the sun setting over the bay and the full moon rising over the ocean. 

Silence is Golden

Today I had to walk out of church after Mass lest I be led into sin.  No, it was not something that was said in the homily, or the fact that the priest ad libbed parts of the prayers, or that he chose not to celebrate the memorial of the Dedication of St. Maria Maggiore, one of my most favorite churches in all the world.  What caused me to leave was the behavior of the assembly after Mass.  I am not a stickler for absolute silence in church, however there is a certain etiquette that should be followed regarding being quiet in church, whispering if one must speak so that those who choose to pray are able to.  

Over the past week, the notion of silence has manifested itself to me in different readings and in my personal meditations. I had planned on writing about silence since God certainly was speaking to me about the need for it, yet I was procrastinating. After this morning Mass, I guess God was telling me that I should not put it off any longer. In the book Rediscovering Catholicism, Matt Kelly writes about how important silence is to prayer and how our lives are filled with so much noise that it is almost impossible to hear the voice of God.  He writes, "Our modern world is spinning out of control, and one of the chief contributors to the chaos and confusion of our modern age is noise. We are filled with noise. We are afraid of silence."  In this coming Sunday's first reading, God is found not in the loud thundering sounds of storms, wind and earthquakes, but in the "tiny whispering sound." 

In one of my readings from the Holy Rule this week, Benedict writes with regard to silence in the oratory, "After the Opus Dei, all should leave in complete silence and with reverence for God, so that anyone who may wish to pray alone will not be disturbed by the insensitivity of another."  Pretty strong words.

The benefits of silence are many.  It allows the mind to quiet itself and bring to the forefront things that are really important by taking away the distractions that come with noise.  It allows us to focus our prayer. Most of all, it allows us to hear the still, small voice of our Lord.  

Ridding ourselves of noise is not easy, especially when you live with others who do not share the same views on silence. I guess Jesus faced some of the same issues (although He didn't have to deal with modern electronic noise making devices), because he always went off alone to pray.  We don't always have that luxury, but there are ways to achieve times of silence.  For years I have not played the radio in the car.  Although I once loved listening to music all the time, I find that not listening, even at home, is a good thing, and also lets me appreciate music better when I do choose to listen.  Once a TV addict, I now only watch a little of it, and avoid the news and gossip stations.  My cell phone is usually on silent or vibrate, although I do get chastised for missing calls, most that really weren't that important anyway (what did we do without cell phones - especially in church).  I believe that noise is a huge obstacle to prayer. If we want to pray well, we need to turn off the noise in our lives, or at least a portion of it.  

This brings me back to this morning's incident at church. Several different groups of people were making a lot of unnecessary noise and it got louder and louder as each group tried to be heard over the other.  One group was actually shouting the Rosary, as if our Lady was hard of hearing.  The ladies setting up for a funeral were yelling across the church to each other. A large family group was loudly conversing. There were people in the church trying to pray.  I had the need to pray.  Finally the distraction got so unbearable that my thoughts were wandering far from God, so I left to continue my prayer at home.  I would have preferred to be in front of the Blessed Sacrament, but God is everywhere.  I could have offered up the annoyance, but it was so noisy that this thought didn't even come to my mind until I was home for awhile, and it still would not have given me the silence I needed to hear God.

What all this is telling me, and I hope telling some of you, is to make time for silence in your life, and in places of peace and quiet, to be aware of others need for silence. We can't always go away to pray, although a retreat is probably the best way of achieving silence. Yet even on retreats I have found that there is unnecessary noise and chatter. Why are we afraid of silence?  Why are we afraid to hear God?  One of the things that stand out for me during my travels to Italy, were the old ladies in the churches who would call out "silencio" when people started to speak above a whisper in church.  Perhaps we need some of those old ladies in our churches, on our street corners, in our homes and workplaces.  Maybe we need to be less afraid of silence and realize that it is in the silence that we meet God.

Post script:  Just in case I gave the impression that I lack patience, I did try to pray through this for 15 minutes before I left the church.

"I will be with you."

It amazes me sometimes how God lets me know when He is trying to get something across to me.  This morning, as I usually do before Mass, I was meditating on the scripture readings for the day.  In the first reading from Exodus (Ex. 3:1-6,9-12), God appears to Moses in the burning bush and tells Moses  to go to Pharaoh and lead the Hebrews out of Egypt. Moses protests saying, "Who am I that I should go...?" I was thinking, how many times in Scripture do we hear that argument, or one like it,  in response to the call of God?  I know Isaiah and Jerimiah both expressed it. So did Peter, and Paul, and many of the saints throughout our history. God calls the most unlikely people to do His work.; people who are too young, too old, cannot speak well, are afraid, don't feel up to the challenge, or simply don't want to or think they can't do what God is asking of them.

My meditation led me to reflect on my own faith journey and how God called me into ministry.  The first time I was called upon to give a talk for a retreat, I really felt frightened and anxious. While I was a teacher and had spoken in public before, this was different.  This was about my faith and I was being asked to call others to faith through the words I was speaking.  Before I was to speak, someone opened the Bible and read from Jeremiah (1:4-9)

"The word of the LORD came to me thus:
Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
before you were born I dedicated you,
a prophet to the nations I appointed you.
"Ah, Lord GOD!" I said,
"I know not how to speak; I am too young."
But the LORD answered me,
Say not, "I am too young."
To whomever I send you, you shall go;
whatever I command you, you shall speak.
Have no fear before them,
because I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
Then the LORD extended his hand and touched my mouth, saying,
See, I place my words in your mouth! "

Wow, did those words speak to me, and a whole new world was opened up. 

Mass began, and when it came to the homily it was about Moses reaction to God's call and how often we say to God, "Who am I that I should go...", or do, or say, or be something that is beyond what we ever thought possible. Father said that when God calls us, He gives us the Grace to see through to completion what He is asking of us.  I took this as a confirmation of my own meditation, but also as a reminder that I need to trust in God and be willing to answer His call, whenever that may come, and to do whatever God asks of me. 

The priest also made reference to the Gospel (Mt.11:25-27) and said that we have to have "childlike" trust. Somewhere in our "growing up" we tend to lose that trusting demeanor. Perhaps it is because the world is so untrustworthy that we carry that over to our faith life.  Perhaps the problems in the Church of late have caused people to lose trust. Yet, we have to remember that the Church is more than simply the people in it, that there is a Divine dimension to the Church that many overlook.  If we have faith in God, we must have trust that God will not lead His Church or us down the wrong path.

My meditation today, and the words of the homily, remind me to have childlike trust and be willing to believe that if God asks something of me it is because He knows that I will be able to do it with His Grace. I know that God will be with me, just as He promised Moses. God will give me what I need to carry it through. All I need to say is "Here I am."

God is watching us

I was talking with someone the other day about the surveillance cameras that are being installed just about everywhere.  First we just saw the traffic cams that would keep us abreast of traffic jams and accidents as we watched the morning news to judge our commute to work.  But now, these cameras catch us if we try to beat the red light, make a illegal turn and I am sure they soon will catch us if we are speeding.  You can't walk into a store without seeing cameras that were once only common in banks and jewelry shops.  In some areas they are even on the main streets.  More and more schools have them and they are even being installed in churches. Yes, they are for our protection but many people view them as "Big Brother" watching over us.

Then there is this little innovation called "Google Earth"  I love the site.  From a satellite high above the earth it can pinpoint minute details of any place you choose to look at. Granted it is not a live picture, but in looking up my own address, I was amazed at how much was visible from these satellite images. You could practically see that my lawn need mowing (no, that was from the ground level cameras that practically see into my living room).  Once I found a friend's house whose address I did not know, simply by Googling the specific area and zeroing in on landmarks that I saw in a picture she had sent me.  If someone wants to find you, seems there is no place to hide. 

Yes, it seems the government is always watching us, but Someone else is always watching over us as well, noticing our every move, our every step. Someone even knows our thoughts before they come to our consciousness.  However we don't seem so concerned that He sees all and knows all.  For some, the fact that God is ever present and ever watchful is not a deterrent to wrongdoing.  Most people I would assume, are totally oblivious to the fact that God is watching us, and not "from a distance" as Bette Midler would have us think, or as the satellites circling above us in space.  No, our God watches from a place much closer than surveillance cameras can ever get.

Psalm 139 expresses this beautifully.  It is, according to the footnotes in my New American Bible, "A hymnic meditation on God's omnipresence and omniscience."  The psalmist makes me aware that God is with me always, and there is no place where I can hide from Him.  Yes, this should jolt me into making sure that my life is being lived in light of God's commandments, but it above all should give me a sense of security knowing that God's "hand will guide me."  

The fact that God is watching me at all times is comforting, is calming, it gives me hope and it shows me the great depth of His Love. I cannot escape Him, no matter how far I try to run from Him. He finds me, and lets me know the foolishness in trying to flee from His Love, for it is His Love that gives me freedom, His Love that gives me Life.  The fact that God knows my every thought, helps me to trust in Him more and more, to seek His mercy and forgiveness, and to know that my goal in life is to do His Holy Will and I praise Him for I am "fearfully and wonderfully made."

"Probe me, God, know my heart;

   try me, know my concerns.

See if my way is crooked,

  then lead me in the ancient paths." (Psalm 139: 23-24)

Look at the birds in the sky...

We have a new family that moved in under the eaves by our front door.  As so happened, momma and pappa bird began in early spring making a nest in the light fixture over the front door.  Not wanting to see a fire, we kept removing the nesting material, but these tenacious birds kept coming back. Finally we put a screen over the opening, but still they kept trying to get in. My husband decided to hang a birdhouse close to the door and, lo and behold, they made it their home.  A few weeks ago we heard the small sound of baby birds, and momma and pappa began their feeding runs.  There are three little hatchlings whose open mouths are all we see of them.

It is amazing to watch. Momma and Pappa are very wary of our cat, Jake, who sits on the front porch, and they squawk and squeal to keep him away.  They even make noise to keep away human visitors, although if I sit quietly on the porch long enough they will begin their feeding routine with me sitting only a few feet away.  It is beautiful to watch, although not so great to hear at 4:30 in the morning when they awake.

The great thing is that it shows me that God does provide for all God's creatures.  As Jesus said in Matthew 6, "Look at the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap, they gather nothing into barns, yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more important than they?"  The birds are very happy in their little home, protected from the elements. God provides them with worms and bugs and somtimes pieces of bread that they bring over to their brood. 

It also shows me that God will always provide for my needs. I may not always have everything I want, but, if I truly trust in God, then I will have all I need...my faith, the Love of the Lord, a community to pray with, and the Eucharist that nourishes me with the very Life of God.  What more do I need?  As St. Ignatius wrote, "Give me only your Love and your Grace. That is enough for me."

Good Shepherd Sunday

Early depiction of the Good Shepherd -
Catacomb of St. Priscilla, Rome

Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is one of the earliest depictions of Jesus as shown above in this ceiling painting found in the Catacomb of Priscilla, where I had the privilege of seeing it. Even before images of the crucifixion became popular, the image of the Good Shepherd was the most popular portrayal of Jesus.  The Gospel we hear today is from John 10, where Jesus identifies himself with the Good Shepherd.  It is a bit different than the parables of the Lost Sheep that we hear in Matthew and Luke.  When we think of Jesus as the Good Shepherd we easily identify Him with these parables, especially since artistic renderings usually show Jesus carrying a sheep on his shoulders, bringing it back to the flock.  What makes the pericope from John different is that Jesus is not speaking about seeking out the lost, but giving up His life in protection of His flock.  This Shepherd just doesn't go looking for lost sheep but protects all His sheep to the point of dying for them.  Jesus also issues a warning for those who would lead His sheep astray, the "false shepherds," who do not really care for the sheep but just for their own gain.

Important to this passage is that Jesus identifies Himself with the Father. He says, "I AM the Good Shepherd."  It is one of the seven "I AM" statements in John's Gospel.  These statements recall what God said to Moses in Exodus 3:14 when Moses asked God to tell him His name, and God said "I AM WHO AM."  Observant first century Jews would have easily made this connection.

Good Shepherd mosaic
Mausoleum of Galla, Ravenna, Italy

But the thing that stands out for me in this passage is, "The shepherd calls each of his sheep by name and leads them out...and the sheep follow him because they know his voice." The idea of God calling us by name is one that we hear over and over again in both the Old Testament and the New Testament.  Yet, we have to be attentive to the call, and once we recognize Who it is that is calling us, I believe that the only choice we can make is to follow His voice because it leads to the abundant life.  I think this is beautifully portrayed in this 5th century mosaic in Ravenna.  In this mosaic, Jesus is not just a simple peasant shepherd, but He is easily identified as Christ by the gold nimbus,  the cross, and the gold and purple colors of his garments.  This mosaic is of Byzantine style so everything in it has some meaning.

Also today we celebrate Vocations Sunday. When Pope Paul VI instituted the first World Day of Prayer for Vocations in 1964, he said, "O Jesus, Divine Shepherd of the spirit, you have called the Apostles in order to make them fishermen of men, you still attract to you burning spirits and generous young people, in order to render them your followers and ministers to us." Let us pray today and always that more young people will be open to hearing God's call to serve God and God's people in ordained ministry, in religious life, and as lay leaders in our Church. But most of all, may we all be open to answering the Shepherd's call to follow Him where ever He may lead us.