It's Erin Go Braugh! Not Blah. So, rejoice! ;)
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
A Reason to Rejoice
Today is St. Patrick's Day, and to me, it's a little like St. Valentine's Day (which we actually celebrate on the day the Church recognizes St. Cyril and Methodius...what the what? Think they appreciate good chocolate and a little romance as well?); it's really just a day we use a saint as an excuse to do what we want. Right?
Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing! I'm not Irish, but I can appreciate culture and what the day means to Irish folks. It's more a celebration of a heritage, a history, and a love for the drink ;) I can get on board with that.
Yesterday, someone asked me if I am Irish and if I would be celebrating today. I said I wasn't Irish, but I am Catholic, and that seemed a justifiable enough answer for both of us as to why I would partake in St. Patty's Day festivities.
This theme of 'justifiable rejoicing' kind of goes along with this Sunday's readings and the feast of Laetare Sunday. First of all, the priest was wearing PINK which is reason enough for me to smile a little (though, technically, it is "rose". Priests always like to remind me of that...whatever. It's PINK. OWN IT) And we interpret this as a reminder that though we are in a time of penance, we are still rejoicing.
Laetare Sunday kind of sneaks up on us. Suddenly it's like OH MAN we are halfway done with Lent! WHOO HOO! Rejoice! But it also calls us to remember, why are we doing this stuff during Lent anyways?
The Gospel this past Sunday was the Prodigal Son, which I recently blogged about, so I will not go too into detail on the reading itself, but it echoes of the reason(s) we rejoice: the Father's Love and His mercy.
Also, the Gospel reading reminds us why the Father rejoices too. He loves us! And He's gonna throw US a party because of it! Regardless of what we do, He rejoices when we come back to Him. He rejoices because we are dear to Him.
But do we even need all these reasons to celebrate? Do I need to justify my reason to drink a Guinness tonight or wear green? (I look re-uhl good in green, just saying. And I rock it quite often, thank you very much ;) Do we need that reminder to rejoice in Lent? (ps- the Church doesn't just stick Laetare Sunday in the middle of Lent as that reminder, there are other meanings OF COURSE. That's just the most often used interpretation)
I bring this up because in prayer this morning I found myself being like, "Okay, God. Hope, trust- these are GREAT themes. But I think I'm ready for something NEW to pray with. I need a reason to rejoice in prayer, in life."
I have friends and family members who have recently received great news that will bring great changes in their lives. REASONS to rejoice. Things that the world can point to and be like- that's worth celebrating! When the Prodigal Son returned to the Father, did he do so because he knew there would be a celebration? Nope. It was out of necessity, really. A call, perhaps. Regardless, he knew it was time to surrender. And this surrender was what the Father decided to celebrate.
Surrender is not a one time deal. It's constant. Daily. Moment by moment. And it's a release, an emptying. So really, we can be celebrating that effort everyday! The Father sure does...
Today's readings for "St.Patrick's Day" from Isaiah and the Psalms(really, the priest made no mention of poor St. Patty when I went to Mass today. #truthbomb. Though, I also was a little late getting there, so I may have missed it. #truthbombtakeitback ) were examples of rejoicing in the midst of having nothing really.
Isaiah 49:8-15 talks about Zion feeling forgotten and having our own mountains to climb (though God cuts a path through them for us. Hope! Win!) And we all know David was no angel.Even though both were probably in desparate circumstances (people turned against them, persecution, you know, the usual) they placed trust in God.
There's that TRUST theme again, God!! Hmmmm....
So perhaps we should celebrate today- which I believe the Irish do, though my knowledge on corned beef and cabbage is limited- our trust in the Father, our daily surrender, and His promise of hope to us.
Trust and hope. Trust and hope. You think I'd get it or run out of things to say about it by now? ;)
Happy St. Patrick's Day, all, and Happy Lent!
Peace,
Julia
Now, I'm not saying that's a bad thing! I'm not Irish, but I can appreciate culture and what the day means to Irish folks. It's more a celebration of a heritage, a history, and a love for the drink ;) I can get on board with that.
Yesterday, someone asked me if I am Irish and if I would be celebrating today. I said I wasn't Irish, but I am Catholic, and that seemed a justifiable enough answer for both of us as to why I would partake in St. Patty's Day festivities.
This theme of 'justifiable rejoicing' kind of goes along with this Sunday's readings and the feast of Laetare Sunday. First of all, the priest was wearing PINK which is reason enough for me to smile a little (though, technically, it is "rose". Priests always like to remind me of that...whatever. It's PINK. OWN IT) And we interpret this as a reminder that though we are in a time of penance, we are still rejoicing.
Laetare Sunday kind of sneaks up on us. Suddenly it's like OH MAN we are halfway done with Lent! WHOO HOO! Rejoice! But it also calls us to remember, why are we doing this stuff during Lent anyways?
The Gospel this past Sunday was the Prodigal Son, which I recently blogged about, so I will not go too into detail on the reading itself, but it echoes of the reason(s) we rejoice: the Father's Love and His mercy.
Also, the Gospel reading reminds us why the Father rejoices too. He loves us! And He's gonna throw US a party because of it! Regardless of what we do, He rejoices when we come back to Him. He rejoices because we are dear to Him.
But do we even need all these reasons to celebrate? Do I need to justify my reason to drink a Guinness tonight or wear green? (I look re-uhl good in green, just saying. And I rock it quite often, thank you very much ;) Do we need that reminder to rejoice in Lent? (ps- the Church doesn't just stick Laetare Sunday in the middle of Lent as that reminder, there are other meanings OF COURSE. That's just the most often used interpretation)
I bring this up because in prayer this morning I found myself being like, "Okay, God. Hope, trust- these are GREAT themes. But I think I'm ready for something NEW to pray with. I need a reason to rejoice in prayer, in life."
I have friends and family members who have recently received great news that will bring great changes in their lives. REASONS to rejoice. Things that the world can point to and be like- that's worth celebrating! When the Prodigal Son returned to the Father, did he do so because he knew there would be a celebration? Nope. It was out of necessity, really. A call, perhaps. Regardless, he knew it was time to surrender. And this surrender was what the Father decided to celebrate.
Surrender is not a one time deal. It's constant. Daily. Moment by moment. And it's a release, an emptying. So really, we can be celebrating that effort everyday! The Father sure does...
Today's readings for "St.Patrick's Day" from Isaiah and the Psalms(really, the priest made no mention of poor St. Patty when I went to Mass today. #truthbomb. Though, I also was a little late getting there, so I may have missed it. #truthbombtakeitback ) were examples of rejoicing in the midst of having nothing really.
Isaiah 49:8-15 talks about Zion feeling forgotten and having our own mountains to climb (though God cuts a path through them for us. Hope! Win!) And we all know David was no angel.Even though both were probably in desparate circumstances (people turned against them, persecution, you know, the usual) they placed trust in God.
There's that TRUST theme again, God!! Hmmmm....
So perhaps we should celebrate today- which I believe the Irish do, though my knowledge on corned beef and cabbage is limited- our trust in the Father, our daily surrender, and His promise of hope to us.
Trust and hope. Trust and hope. You think I'd get it or run out of things to say about it by now? ;)
Happy St. Patrick's Day, all, and Happy Lent!
Peace,
Julia
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Biggest Loser Part 2
Last year, I posted about St. Paul being the "Biggest Loser" because he was happiest when he had nothing. Shipwrecked, locked up, but still "boasting in the glory of God" (like in Sunday's readings).
Was St. Paul a little cocky? Perhaps. But only because of what he received from his total surrender to God.
I still haven't totally wrapped my brain around this yet, but as I was packing up to leave Adoration this morning I got a little thought in my little head and I think it might have been- MIGHT have been- from God...
I was ready to say my goodbyes to Jesus as I ended my quick post-Mass prayer session, and I got that feeling- and maybe you've had this too- that He wasn't done with me quite yet and I had to stay for a second. Again, I got this little thought:
"If you are serving God and have nothing to show for it, you are doing it right."
Huh. There's a thought.
This is not to say I'M serving God correctly in any way shape or form. This is also not to say that those who have everything they could ever have imagined AREN'T "doing it right" in terms of Christianity. It was just a good reminder that Christianity has never been about the things we have, but ALWAYS about the emptying, the pouring out, the "last shall be first", and all that. The Biggest Loser. Right?
So just a quick post today for any of us who may feel like losers ;) or looking for something tangible to show the world. Those things are certainly gifts, but so is the mystery (which you are SICK of hearing me say, I'm SURE).
And especially at this time of Lent we remember the emptying that Jesus did as an example for those who choose to follow Him:
He said to them, 'Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.'
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere. - Luke 9:3-6
Peace,
Julia
Was St. Paul a little cocky? Perhaps. But only because of what he received from his total surrender to God.
I still haven't totally wrapped my brain around this yet, but as I was packing up to leave Adoration this morning I got a little thought in my little head and I think it might have been- MIGHT have been- from God...
I was ready to say my goodbyes to Jesus as I ended my quick post-Mass prayer session, and I got that feeling- and maybe you've had this too- that He wasn't done with me quite yet and I had to stay for a second. Again, I got this little thought:
"If you are serving God and have nothing to show for it, you are doing it right."
Huh. There's a thought.
This is not to say I'M serving God correctly in any way shape or form. This is also not to say that those who have everything they could ever have imagined AREN'T "doing it right" in terms of Christianity. It was just a good reminder that Christianity has never been about the things we have, but ALWAYS about the emptying, the pouring out, the "last shall be first", and all that. The Biggest Loser. Right?
So just a quick post today for any of us who may feel like losers ;) or looking for something tangible to show the world. Those things are certainly gifts, but so is the mystery (which you are SICK of hearing me say, I'm SURE).
And especially at this time of Lent we remember the emptying that Jesus did as an example for those who choose to follow Him:
He said to them, 'Take nothing for the journey,
neither walking stick, nor sack, nor food, nor money,
and let no one take a second tunic.
Whatever house you enter, stay there and leave from there.
And as for those who do not welcome you,
when you leave that town,
shake the dust from your feet in testimony against them.'
Then they set out and went from village to village
proclaiming the Good News and curing diseases everywhere. - Luke 9:3-6
Peace,
Julia
Monday, March 8, 2010
Oh Well?
When I googled the words "Spring Up O, Well" this randomly came up (along with some awesomely awkward youtube videos of that song. Oh, man. If you find the one with the shirtless guy praising down by the river, you let me know. I'm just glad our Church services have shirt requirement. Just saying)
Anyways, this cake signifies nothing about the following blogpost, and I'm not even sure what it means on stand-alone merit... Oh, well?! ;)
Spring Up, O, Well!
I know I've been blogging like a feen lately. I think the coming of Spring is certainly stirring in me. Though you wouldn't have been able to tell for most of yesterday. I was a little ill and sat around looking like death warmed over for 3/4 of the day...doing my taxes of all things. Yup, death and taxes indeed.
I finally got off my butt to go to Mass around 6pm. The Mass I went to chose to use the Year A Cycle readings (the RCIA candidate option) instead of the normal Cycle C for this year. AND I'M SO GLAD THEY DID.
Saturday (as you know) I was feeling good and positive about my state in life. Feeling all lovey dovey about the Father's love, even! So much hope and trust!
Amazing how quick a little stomach bug (and the devil) can get you to mope about as if the messages of hope and love never happened.
So, I was needing a message of hope- AGAIN. And blammo! There it was in the readings!
First reading: "In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?...Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
Oh, man am I good at grumbling!: "Why did You, Lord, do this that or the other?? Why did you ever make me leave/go to this that and the other place? Are you just going to leave me here to thirst??"
I love how Moses is like, "what do I DO with these people?" And God works pretty quickly in this case (clearly, not always how he likes to work, but again- He knows what we need ;). Maybe to cut Moses a break (not Moses' fault the people are finicky and fickle! Humph!) But maybe to prove to us that He won't let us go thirsty.
In fact, in he second reading from Romans St. Paul says: "...God proves his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Christ's life, death, and resurrection is the Father's gift to us in times of doubt, in times of thirst.
And I also loved this: "..we boast in the hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint."
Oh, St. Paul. Always boasting. But if you are going to boast, the hope of the glory of God is the thing ;)
I totally appreciate the Church's ability to tie all the readings together. Where the Israelites are thirsty and grumbling for water in the first reading, Jesus presents Himself in the Gospel as living water, able to quench our deepest thirst. This certainly demonstrates the Salvation History we honor particularly at this Lenten time.
He meets a Samaritan woman at a well and- not only is he starting up a conversation with a woman (gasp!)- but a woman of a different culture than His. Mindblowing! ;)
And then he starts telling her this:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
I like this image of a spring of water welling upwards. God's just storing up all kinds of good things for us in our own respective wells. It's bound to overflow, surprise, and bound to be exactly what we need to be satisfied.
This message of hope, and trust, and fulfillment of thirst is certainly one I needed to hear this weekend. We all have our thirsting and longings. And Jesus knows this! He knew what that woman and his apostles should hear at that moment in the Gospel. He knew that I needed to hear those particular readings as opposed to the normal cycle readings last night at Mass. This gives me hope and ability to trust again. And above all, the knowledge that HE is the gift and only thing that can keep us from thirsting again.
Right now, I'm sure most of us are longing for a different kind of Spring and the warmth and positivity that comes with it. I believe that we will be satisfied very soon! The weather is promising! But it's also important to remember Lent actually means "springtime". So we aren't waiting for springtime- it's already here!
Peace,
Julia
I finally got off my butt to go to Mass around 6pm. The Mass I went to chose to use the Year A Cycle readings (the RCIA candidate option) instead of the normal Cycle C for this year. AND I'M SO GLAD THEY DID.
Saturday (as you know) I was feeling good and positive about my state in life. Feeling all lovey dovey about the Father's love, even! So much hope and trust!
Amazing how quick a little stomach bug (and the devil) can get you to mope about as if the messages of hope and love never happened.
So, I was needing a message of hope- AGAIN. And blammo! There it was in the readings!
First reading: "In those days, in their thirst for water, the people grumbled against Moses, saying, “Why did you ever make us leave Egypt? Was it just to have us die here of thirst with our children and our livestock?...Is the Lord in our midst or not?”
Oh, man am I good at grumbling!: "Why did You, Lord, do this that or the other?? Why did you ever make me leave/go to this that and the other place? Are you just going to leave me here to thirst??"
I love how Moses is like, "what do I DO with these people?" And God works pretty quickly in this case (clearly, not always how he likes to work, but again- He knows what we need ;). Maybe to cut Moses a break (not Moses' fault the people are finicky and fickle! Humph!) But maybe to prove to us that He won't let us go thirsty.
In fact, in he second reading from Romans St. Paul says: "...God proves his love for us that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Christ's life, death, and resurrection is the Father's gift to us in times of doubt, in times of thirst.
And I also loved this: "..we boast in the hope of the glory of God. And hope does not disappoint."
Oh, St. Paul. Always boasting. But if you are going to boast, the hope of the glory of God is the thing ;)
I totally appreciate the Church's ability to tie all the readings together. Where the Israelites are thirsty and grumbling for water in the first reading, Jesus presents Himself in the Gospel as living water, able to quench our deepest thirst. This certainly demonstrates the Salvation History we honor particularly at this Lenten time.
He meets a Samaritan woman at a well and- not only is he starting up a conversation with a woman (gasp!)- but a woman of a different culture than His. Mindblowing! ;)
And then he starts telling her this:
“Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again;
but whoever drinks the water I shall give will never thirst;
the water I shall give will become in him
a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”
I like this image of a spring of water welling upwards. God's just storing up all kinds of good things for us in our own respective wells. It's bound to overflow, surprise, and bound to be exactly what we need to be satisfied.
This message of hope, and trust, and fulfillment of thirst is certainly one I needed to hear this weekend. We all have our thirsting and longings. And Jesus knows this! He knew what that woman and his apostles should hear at that moment in the Gospel. He knew that I needed to hear those particular readings as opposed to the normal cycle readings last night at Mass. This gives me hope and ability to trust again. And above all, the knowledge that HE is the gift and only thing that can keep us from thirsting again.
Right now, I'm sure most of us are longing for a different kind of Spring and the warmth and positivity that comes with it. I believe that we will be satisfied very soon! The weather is promising! But it's also important to remember Lent actually means "springtime". So we aren't waiting for springtime- it's already here!
Peace,
Julia
Saturday, March 6, 2010
A Message of Love
So apparently, I'm on this taking a song and relating it to me and Jesus kick. This is not, as we know, a new thing for me as half these posts are popular song titles that come to me in prayer. But I also attribute it to discussions with friends and this awakening of my analytical side again.
Today a couple songs were running through my itunes after spiritual direction this morning. But this one really struck me:
A Message- by Coldplay
My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes up
You don't have to be alone
Your heavy heart
Is made of stone
And it's so hard to see you clearly
You don't have to be on your own
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
Got to get that message home
My song is love
My song is love, unknown
But I'm on fire for you, clearly
You don't have to be alone
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
And I'm nothing on my own
Got to get that message home
And I'm not gonna stand and wait
Not gonna leave it until it's much too late
On a platform I'm gonna stand and say
That I'm nothing on my own
And I love you, please come home
My song is love, is love unknown
And I've got to get that message home
So good, right? I know I joke alot about having a heart of stone, so this hit home, perhaps particularly to me :) Can we picture God saying this to us? God clearly "on fire" for us? Not "taking back things He's said" or what they might mean, but telling us those things because He loves us?
Of course, not all the lyrics literally translate- God is fine without us. He's GOD. But because He loves us, He WANTS us. So that line, "I'm nothing on my own" probably is more our line of surrender to Him, but also that while He doesn't need us, He doesn't want to be alone up there in heaven. He wants us.
So, this song came up on my itunes, and then I began to read the readings for the day. They are all readings of God's MERCY. From the first reading from Micah:
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt…who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us…” - Micah 7: 15, 18-20
To the Psalm: The Lord is Kind of Merciful Psalm 103
And the Gospel is the Prodigal Son that I know gets played out but for such a good reason. It's such the ultimate example of how a lover feels about the beloved. The Father totally is singing that Coldplay song in His own way to the son:
"While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20
Kind of like Chris Martin's "I'm not gonna stand and wait. I'm not going to leave it until its much too late." The Father comes running at us with His love.
Okay, so how come we can't always see it? And how come it seems like He IS waiting to come running at us sometimes?
It's like I said last post, it's usually our sin and our humanness that get in the way. God is always running at us with open arms in one way or the other, perhaps not just the way we think.
My spiritual director explained the beauty of the Father's love and His plan to me in a beautiful way today. It's like our lives are a tapestry. And the Father is looking at it from the side we see displayed at museums. But we see it from behind, all the threads that don't make sense- that don't seem to form a picture. But if we try to cut the threads or rearrange them, it will alter the picture that God sees.
I must admit, these songs of love and these beautiful woven tapestries are images that are hard for me to dive into for some reason. Alot of us can't believe that God or anyone showers us with such love or sees such beautiful things in us. Why is it hard for us to look at beauty? Especially when it pertains to us? Our culture has MUCH to do with it, but I promise not to go on that tangent.
I just am- like the 5+ feet of snow we got this year- starting to melt away some of these parts that I thought frozen. And as I observed the other day (and tweeted on Twitter...yeah, I'm such a nerd): when the snow melts, it's good, but it kind of leaves a big ol' mushy mess. It's gross. No one likes to look at it. But it has to happen if the snow is going to ever leave...
God knows what He's doing ;) May we let Him embrace us where we are at.
Peace,
Julia
Today a couple songs were running through my itunes after spiritual direction this morning. But this one really struck me:
A Message- by Coldplay
My song is love
Love to the loveless shown
And it goes up
You don't have to be alone
Your heavy heart
Is made of stone
And it's so hard to see you clearly
You don't have to be on your own
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
Got to get that message home
My song is love
My song is love, unknown
But I'm on fire for you, clearly
You don't have to be alone
You don't have to be on your own
And I'm not gonna take it back
And I'm not gonna say I don't mean that
You're the target that I'm aiming at
And I'm nothing on my own
Got to get that message home
And I'm not gonna stand and wait
Not gonna leave it until it's much too late
On a platform I'm gonna stand and say
That I'm nothing on my own
And I love you, please come home
My song is love, is love unknown
And I've got to get that message home
So good, right? I know I joke alot about having a heart of stone, so this hit home, perhaps particularly to me :) Can we picture God saying this to us? God clearly "on fire" for us? Not "taking back things He's said" or what they might mean, but telling us those things because He loves us?
Of course, not all the lyrics literally translate- God is fine without us. He's GOD. But because He loves us, He WANTS us. So that line, "I'm nothing on my own" probably is more our line of surrender to Him, but also that while He doesn't need us, He doesn't want to be alone up there in heaven. He wants us.
So, this song came up on my itunes, and then I began to read the readings for the day. They are all readings of God's MERCY. From the first reading from Micah:
Who is there like you, the God who removes guilt…who does not persist in anger forever, but delights rather in clemency, and will again have compassion on us…” - Micah 7: 15, 18-20
To the Psalm: The Lord is Kind of Merciful Psalm 103
And the Gospel is the Prodigal Son that I know gets played out but for such a good reason. It's such the ultimate example of how a lover feels about the beloved. The Father totally is singing that Coldplay song in His own way to the son:
"While he was still a long way off, his father caught sight of him, and was filled with compassion. He ran to his son, embraced him and kissed him." - Luke 15:20
Kind of like Chris Martin's "I'm not gonna stand and wait. I'm not going to leave it until its much too late." The Father comes running at us with His love.
Okay, so how come we can't always see it? And how come it seems like He IS waiting to come running at us sometimes?
It's like I said last post, it's usually our sin and our humanness that get in the way. God is always running at us with open arms in one way or the other, perhaps not just the way we think.
My spiritual director explained the beauty of the Father's love and His plan to me in a beautiful way today. It's like our lives are a tapestry. And the Father is looking at it from the side we see displayed at museums. But we see it from behind, all the threads that don't make sense- that don't seem to form a picture. But if we try to cut the threads or rearrange them, it will alter the picture that God sees.
I must admit, these songs of love and these beautiful woven tapestries are images that are hard for me to dive into for some reason. Alot of us can't believe that God or anyone showers us with such love or sees such beautiful things in us. Why is it hard for us to look at beauty? Especially when it pertains to us? Our culture has MUCH to do with it, but I promise not to go on that tangent.
I just am- like the 5+ feet of snow we got this year- starting to melt away some of these parts that I thought frozen. And as I observed the other day (and tweeted on Twitter...yeah, I'm such a nerd): when the snow melts, it's good, but it kind of leaves a big ol' mushy mess. It's gross. No one likes to look at it. But it has to happen if the snow is going to ever leave...
God knows what He's doing ;) May we let Him embrace us where we are at.
Peace,
Julia
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Salome's Sassiness (or The Perfection of the Plan ;)
God really has been working over-time lately! Or maybe my ears are just finally open to hear. Probably the latter.
Okay, so I've been praying/talking about mystery and accepting that mystery as GIFT. Today, Jesus gave me a little gift by surprising me when I went to pray with ADORATION! Surprise! Love it when He does that.
I sat myself down in front of the Blessed Sacrament and was just trying to acknowledge and call to mind that this is JESUS in front of me. That He is right here with me (and always is) but is revealing Himself to me in this way at this moment.
I wanted to be overwhelmed with emotion. I wanted to shed a tear. I cannot even count the number of times I've pulled a "Lindsay Bluth" from Arrested Development this year, trying to force myself to cry:
(I wanted to find the actual pic of the scene I'm talking about, but you'll have to settle for Lucille's winking face. It's about the same concept...)
And this one of Lindsay and GOB just for fun ;)
Anyways, so I'm there in the chapel trying to cry, when I finally realize the Spirit's just not moving that way today, and move onto Scripture. And the Gospel has TRUTHBOMBS for me all over the place. This still doesn't move me to tears, but definitely convicts me of His presence, His action in that moment. He always knows what we need!
Today's Gospel is the one where Salome (I used to giggle each time our teacher for Synoptic Gospels would say this woman's name. It always sounded like "Salami" to me ;) COMMANDS JESUS to make her sons, James and John, sit at His right hand with jewels and crowns, and to drink the cup He drinks.
Oh no she didn't! Who does she thinks she is? Who COMMANDS Jesus to move and do stuff for them? Who...oh, right. I do.
My friend and I were just having this conversation the day before, in fact, about asking God for things and how that while Jesus does tell us to ask things of Him, there is much more freedom in openness. It is better to just be open to whatever God has for us than to ask for specific things. There is still a let down if the thing we are asking or "commanding" for isn't "gifted" to us. How many times have I recently fell in this trap?
And Jesus answers Salome (heh) with, "can your boys even handle the cup I drink?" (okay, I paraphrased there) And the answer is of course, "no"- well, the boys say "yes", but Jesus knows the Truth. And it is then that He tells them this:
"My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Right. It's not part of God's plan. So we can ask all we want, and God certainly wants us to speak to Him, but He's got something brewing up there for us and its usually perfect (though not always convenient! That's for sure! ;)
In fact, in the very next breath, He's telling the apostles they will have to serve one another and that the first of them will be last. Who wants to sign up for that?
But are we willing to go along with it if it's part of the plan?
That's up for us to decide. We have the free will to trust it or not.
Before Salo..okay, James and John's mama...bends Jesus' ear, Jesus actually pulls over the apostles to tell them that He will be condemned to death. It's kind of even more ridiculous that James and JOhn's mama asks what she does of Jesus after the apostles of just heard what is to become of Him.
It's also a good example of this idea of mystery being revealed to us before we are ready to understand it. Here, Jesus is essentially giving the apostles and us what we want- He lays it out and gives them the plan. But they don't understand it yet because they haven't experienced it.
This is what I was talking about last post and what I'm discussing in my classes about mystery. Jesus most likely IS revealing things to us like we want Him to, but we are not ready yet to experience the plan and therefore are inable to put the pieces together.
It was pretty perfect timing, this Gospel was today. Not surprised. That's how He do.
Oh, and also, the first reading- short as it was- was also uber convicting.
Jeremiah's enemies plan to bring him down by using his own words against him:
"And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word"
Yipes! Makes ya want to choose your words carefully...especially when speaking in His name. I feel really convicted to pray for the misunderstandings and words that have been exchanged because of the Archdiocese of DC's choice to pull services due to the new same sex marriage law in DC. Please join me in prayers of healing for our Church, for the people they serve, and for all.
Peace,
Julia
Okay, so I've been praying/talking about mystery and accepting that mystery as GIFT. Today, Jesus gave me a little gift by surprising me when I went to pray with ADORATION! Surprise! Love it when He does that.
I sat myself down in front of the Blessed Sacrament and was just trying to acknowledge and call to mind that this is JESUS in front of me. That He is right here with me (and always is) but is revealing Himself to me in this way at this moment.
I wanted to be overwhelmed with emotion. I wanted to shed a tear. I cannot even count the number of times I've pulled a "Lindsay Bluth" from Arrested Development this year, trying to force myself to cry:
(I wanted to find the actual pic of the scene I'm talking about, but you'll have to settle for Lucille's winking face. It's about the same concept...)
And this one of Lindsay and GOB just for fun ;)
Anyways, so I'm there in the chapel trying to cry, when I finally realize the Spirit's just not moving that way today, and move onto Scripture. And the Gospel has TRUTHBOMBS for me all over the place. This still doesn't move me to tears, but definitely convicts me of His presence, His action in that moment. He always knows what we need!
Today's Gospel is the one where Salome (I used to giggle each time our teacher for Synoptic Gospels would say this woman's name. It always sounded like "Salami" to me ;) COMMANDS JESUS to make her sons, James and John, sit at His right hand with jewels and crowns, and to drink the cup He drinks.
Oh no she didn't! Who does she thinks she is? Who COMMANDS Jesus to move and do stuff for them? Who...oh, right. I do.
My friend and I were just having this conversation the day before, in fact, about asking God for things and how that while Jesus does tell us to ask things of Him, there is much more freedom in openness. It is better to just be open to whatever God has for us than to ask for specific things. There is still a let down if the thing we are asking or "commanding" for isn't "gifted" to us. How many times have I recently fell in this trap?
And Jesus answers Salome (heh) with, "can your boys even handle the cup I drink?" (okay, I paraphrased there) And the answer is of course, "no"- well, the boys say "yes", but Jesus knows the Truth. And it is then that He tells them this:
"My cup you will indeed drink, but to sit at my right and at my left, this is not mine to give but is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father."
Right. It's not part of God's plan. So we can ask all we want, and God certainly wants us to speak to Him, but He's got something brewing up there for us and its usually perfect (though not always convenient! That's for sure! ;)
In fact, in the very next breath, He's telling the apostles they will have to serve one another and that the first of them will be last. Who wants to sign up for that?
But are we willing to go along with it if it's part of the plan?
That's up for us to decide. We have the free will to trust it or not.
Before Salo..okay, James and John's mama...bends Jesus' ear, Jesus actually pulls over the apostles to tell them that He will be condemned to death. It's kind of even more ridiculous that James and JOhn's mama asks what she does of Jesus after the apostles of just heard what is to become of Him.
It's also a good example of this idea of mystery being revealed to us before we are ready to understand it. Here, Jesus is essentially giving the apostles and us what we want- He lays it out and gives them the plan. But they don't understand it yet because they haven't experienced it.
This is what I was talking about last post and what I'm discussing in my classes about mystery. Jesus most likely IS revealing things to us like we want Him to, but we are not ready yet to experience the plan and therefore are inable to put the pieces together.
It was pretty perfect timing, this Gospel was today. Not surprised. That's how He do.
Oh, and also, the first reading- short as it was- was also uber convicting.
Jeremiah's enemies plan to bring him down by using his own words against him:
"And so, let us destroy him by his own tongue; let us carefully note his every word"
Yipes! Makes ya want to choose your words carefully...especially when speaking in His name. I feel really convicted to pray for the misunderstandings and words that have been exchanged because of the Archdiocese of DC's choice to pull services due to the new same sex marriage law in DC. Please join me in prayers of healing for our Church, for the people they serve, and for all.
Peace,
Julia
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