Wednesday, February 10, 2016

Ash Wednesday

From the service for Ash Wednesday:

The first Christians observed with great devotion the days of our Lord’s passion and resurrection, and it became the custom of the Church to prepare for them by a season of penitence and fasting. . .  I invite you, therefore, in the name of the Church, to the observance of a holy Lent, by self-examination and repentance; by prayer, fasting, and self-denial; and by reading and meditating on God’s holy Word.

What would God have you do - or not do - this Lent?

Thursday, February 4, 2016

The Way

Normally I write my meditations on my scriptures, however, today I watched the movie "The Way" with Martin Sheen.  I had seen a comment about it from Facebook and decided to check it out.  If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it - especially for Cursillistas since it centers around the pilgrimage to Santiago do Compostella.

The story is about Thomas Avery.  When his son, Daniel, dies when he is just beginning the journey.  Tom goes to France to identify the body and while there decides to complete the journey for Daniel and to carry his son's ashes to the end.  He ends up joining with several companions during the pilgrimage.

Just after his son dies, Tom is asked by a priest, "Would you like to pray with me?" He answers, "What for?"  The implication is "it won't change what has happened."

That brings up the question, "Why do we pray?"  Through prayer, we cannot necessarily change what is - but we might be able to change the way we perceive it and how it affects us and how we respond to it..

The second thing that occurs to me is that sometimes on this journey we call life, God chooses our companions for us: not necessarily the ones we would choose for ourselves, but the ones we need. .

Life happens - and sometimes during it we are surprised to find out who we really are and what we really want.  God's plan is always perfect, and always seeks to transform us into the person God wants us to be.

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Presentation of the Lord

Feb 2,The presentation of the Lord in the temple.

Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God...  Hebrews 2:17

The author of the letter to the Hebrews points out that Jesus came down to be one of us so that he might experience what we experience, and understand human nature.  This is the kind of God we have - the one who wants to fully enter into his own creation and know what it means to be human.  Jesus did this so that he might present us to God himself, knowing us from the inside out and loving us anyway.  God above all gods, one who loves and is not afraid to enter into the mess and mire that is our life on earth.  May the name of Jesus Christ be praised, now and forever.