As ashes were placed on our foreheads, did you hear “Remember you are dust, and to dust you shall return?” Perhaps we think of ourselves as mere dust, akin to the dust balls under our bed. But what if we heard, “Remember you are stardust, and to the Great Radiance you will return?” Would we come out from under our bed and look to the stars? Would Lent take on a glow?
Everyone and everything was born 13.7 billion years ago at the Big Bang or Great Radiance. The globs of hydrogen clumped together and ignited into stars. All the elements that comprise our bodies came from that stardust. “The original creative light from which the universe was born remains in everything. Science has confirmed the truth of this, with the discovery that every created thing contains photons that are the source of light and literally radiant” (Healing the Future, Dennis Linn, Sheila Fabricant Linn, Matthew Linn).
I’m a star! I’m made from stardust! I’m glowing! I’m vibrating with radiance! I’m light! How will your Lent be different remembering you’re on your way to the Great Radiance, glowing brilliantly the whole way?
The Holy Spirit has inspired me to make 2 Cor. 8:9 (in Pope Francis’ Lenten letter) as my mantra for this Lent. Based on self-knowledge of my visual learning manner, I find it more fruitful to memorize the Scripture by accenting the “connecting phrases” in italics…
For you know…the Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,
That though…he was rich
Yet for your sake…he became poor,
So that…by his poverty, you might become RICH!
Why, you may ask? The Spirit uncovers or helps me to know (experience) the mysteries of God in the “RICHES.” As the connectors are an aid in understanding God’s logic, so this mantra is a “connector” to the several “mysteries of God” embedded therein:
Incarnation … Paschal Mystery … Divine Indwelling … filiation with the Father through Jesus our Brother …. “Easter Wings” by George Herbert
Perhaps someone else may wish to share insights from this Scripture…or some passages from THE GOSPEL OF JOY that really relate to this Scripture. I am grateful to share my enthusiasm with you.
This morning I will go downtown to Michael’s Café and Bakery, the best place in the state for the perfect paczki. Although I’m already salivating over the lemon-filled ones, my main purpose is to sing paczki carols, parodies to familiar tunes about the delectable gems baked fresh this morning. Business persons on a mission to pick up dozens for their office personnel are surprised to see and hear a group of us singing away. They smile broadly and give a little laugh. Sometimes they join the singing while they wait their order. Catching our positive energy, they’re reminded that humor and surprise add to life. Singing paczki carols becomes a little way to bring about the Kingdom so full of life and laughter and good things. May there be paczki in heaven.
While watching the Olympics recently, haven’t you heard about the “big mistakes”? Someone was behind .04 seconds! Huge! If a hundredth of a second can have so much meaning with such great or such disastrous results, what about the seconds in our day? On February 3, we at St. Richard Parish buried Deacon Tim Worline, who served the parish over 30 years. The homily spoke about the seconds of his life and how he used each one so well. How true it was: Deacon Tim was a man of integrity in every aspect of his life—family, business, Church. And he really did make use of every second, as he never stopped reading, learning, developing new skills and hobbies. The vote on his life was unanimous: all agreed Tim lived every minute of his life. What about us? The seconds put into needed rest and relaxation are important; however, we need to be careful not to make the big mistake of not pushing ourselves toward the ultimate goal—transformation of ourselves and our world into the Body of Christ.
Spend some seconds today more wisely for the Kingdom.
Humility is hard to come by unless you’re God. If anyone has a right to pride, it’s God. God has absolute bragging rights about everything. Yet God—being infinitely good—is infinitely humble. First of all, God is honest, and that’s the basis of humility. Honesty is right relationship with all that exists. It’s that paradoxical unity between detachment and unconditional love. Thomas Keating writes: “This is the way God relates to us: not interested in his own majesty or transcendence, but trying to be nothing—without, of course, much success. It must be fun when you are everything to be nothing. In any case, his disposition to give away everything that he has or is, seems to characterize the divine goodness and compassion.”
Today we are challenged to imitate God’s humility. Can we become “nothing” in a healthy way? In our right relationship with God, other people, and the world, we need to give ourselves away. But—here’s the surprise!—we lose nothing. In opening our hand to give, our hand is ready to receive.
Did you ever notice that when you’re fully engaged in an activity, you rarely lose energy; and if you do, it’s a good kind of tiredness? In your home, in your church, in your everyday activities, are you fully engaged? If so, you’ll find yourself becoming stronger, more energized—actually even more engaged.
Those who are fully engaged in their faith, allowing it to be involved in every aspect of their lives find satisfaction in life. Belief in religious truths does not automatically make a person spiritually committed. We need to incorporate our beliefs in our daily lives. Statistically only one in seven people are fully spiritually committed (Gallup poll). To raise that percentage, we need to help people do what they do best. When people are permitted to do what they do best, they are nearly three times more likely to be engaged.
What are your talents and strengths? What are the talents and strengths of your family and friends? What do you and they love to do? Just do it.
God said, “Let there be light,” and there it was! This was the Big Bang! This weekend’s Gospel calls us to be light. God’s love exploded in light, and sparks of that light continue in every creature. The light of evolution continues in us in whom love is evolving. Every moment we have an opportunity to continue the light and love that will one day unite every creature in God. Do we let our light and love evolve? Do we look for new ways to express love? Imagine Jesus inviting you to join with him in transforming the world with the evolutionary power of love and light. We sing the popular song, “Christ, Be Our Light.” Imagine God singing to us, “You, be my light.”
Today is the feast of Saint Blaise, a day on which you may have the chance to have your throat blessed. Blessed candles on February 3, ashes on Ash Wednesday, palms on Palm Sunday, along with holy water, relics, statues, and rosaries, are sacramentals. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines sacramentals as “sacred signs which bear a resemblance to the sacraments.” Unlike sacraments, however, they do not confer grace but rather prepare us to receive grace. People are sacramentals, too. We are made in the image and likeness of God, we are blessings to one another, and we are united to Jesus Christ, the First Sacrament.
How can we be a sacramental today? Maybe we’ll be holy water, refreshing another with our kind words of affirmation. Maybe we’ll be palm, waving our praises of God. Maybe we’ll be ashes, letting ourselves be burned up by the fire of the Spirit. Or we may be a candle, lighting the way for someone in darkness.
Did you ever eat one of those Dove chocolate hearts? Do you read the little snippets of “love advice” on the inside of the foil wrappers? A retreatant or a visiting director from last weekend’s directed prayer experience must have gifted us with a bowl full of these hearts, wrapped in red and silver, looking ahead to February 14. Hungry, I filched one from the bowl yesterday as I passed through the hall. I carefully unwrapped it, not wanting to miss my “love advice” for the day! Here’s what it said: “Savor small romantic moments.” Hmmmm! I began to think about my prayer each morning. When has it last felt truly intimate? When in my day have I felt the nearness of God? When have I met Jesus in my days recently? Good questions to ask! Think about the last time you felt a little romance with your God! Maybe it’s time to turn up the heat! Spend a little extra time in prayer and meditation, a little extra “paying attention” to notice God’s presence in your day! Heed the “love advice” — savor those small romantic moments!
I stayed up late last night to watch our President give his 5th State of the Union address and to listen to the Republican response. And then I could not get to sleep! Questions kept coming to me: What are the “great divides” in our hearts? our lives? Whether or not we gift ourselves with labels of Democrat, Republican, Green Party, Independent, Libertarian or who knows what, how willing are we to reach a hand “across the aisle” of our “great divides?” What might it look like for our nation if we could do just that? Maybe even on a smaller level, if we experience strife in family, community, cities, states … what might it look like if we all made a mighty effort — meaning, listening to the other, maybe setting aside some of the ego-self — to search together for the common good? Many of the Saints might call that honest discernment. It takes some looking at the “state of our own union” … the “state of the heart.” Perhaps that’s where we all need to start: a good look at the State of the Heart. Maybe, just maybe … just maybe? … it could lead to “a more perfect Union.” Think on it. Let’s begin today by listening to one we might otherwise dismiss. Let’s begin today by reaching out in a handshake of peace and welcome to the one we label as “the other.” Let’s begin today to work toward “a more perfect Union.” Yes, God bless the United States of America!