Daily Meditation: In Service

Daily Reflection for Thursday June 26, 2014

Matthew 20:20-28

Then the mother of the sons of Zebedee came to him with her sons, and kneeling before him, she asked a favor of him. And he said to her, "What do you want?" She said to him, "Declare that these two sons of mine will sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your kingdom." But Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." He said to them, "You will indeed drink my cup, but to sit at my right hand and at my left, this is not mine to grant, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared by my Father." When the ten heard it, they were angry with the two brothers. But Jesus called them to him and said, "You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones are tyrants over them. It will not be so among you; but whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave; just as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many."

__________________________

In the wildly popular television show Downton Abbey, the domestic staff always refer to their profession as being "in service."  There are different ranks in the profession of being in service.  There is the upper staff ranking from butler to ladies' maid, and the lower staff, from first footman to gatekeeper.  While there is some occasional in-fighting and conniving among the household staff, one comes away with the sense that their service to the masters and mistresses of the family is their number one concern.  They are, after all, members of a noble profession.

What greater profession could there be than profession of Jesus as Lord?  And, the number one profession of those who profess him is being in service for and to Him and others.  No matter what the rank of the professing Christian is, whether in terms of influence, power or socio-economic location, Jesus, in response to mother of the sons of Zebedee makes one thing perfectly clear:  "whoever wishes to be great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you must be your slave."  As Mahatma Gandhi grasped, the best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.

How important is service in Jesus' eyes?  When Jesus talks about the final judgement, the metaphorical separation of the sheep and the goats, he has very strict criteria:

“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world.35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Our motivation to serve should never be out of fear of punishment though.  We serve out of love, the overflowing love of God that dwells in us. 

___________

“Everybody can be great because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.”   -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Daily Meditation: The Fairness of God?

Daily Meditation for Wednesday June 25, 2014

Matthew 20:1-16

"For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last."

__________________________

One of the first times I heard this scripture preached the presider made the case for a libertarian approach to economics (he would not approve of mandatory minimum wage hikes) arguing that the reading was an injunction against government intervention in free markets and private corporate affairs.  Clearly, he did not get the message of the text which has nothing to do with economics or private enterprise but is rather a metaphor for how God metes out grace to newcomers--with abundant  generosity.

The point is that whether one has been a Christian for a lifetime or for mere minutes at the end of one's life, the extravagant love of God is not based on seniority, nor merit, but rather, on the free-will response to the call of God to a covenantal relationship with him.  Some may say--along with the workers who came early--"That's not fair!" but when it comes to the unfathomable love of God it's never about "fairness" but rather about mercy and compassion.

That's instructive for us.  When we treat others exclusively on their merits or contributions we become spiritual utilitarians; very much unlike God.  It's not about what they can do-it's about what we can do for them.  When we snub others for their lack of spiritual maturity we engage the sin of pride and eschew the virtue of humility.  When we juxtapose ourselves against those who are new to the faith in a statutory or legal way, we impose our human limitations on God and limit God in our own estimation of his greatness.

If we re-read the text in this context, we will praise God for his "unfairness" and be thankful for his unlimited grace.





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Daily Meditation: Preparing the Way for The Lord

Nativity of John the Baptist 

The principal ministry of charism of John the Baptist was "preparing the way" for the person and ministry of Jesus as messiah; savior of the humanity.  What exactly does that mean and why is that important for us?  

John's mission of preparing the way meant that his ministry was to create the favorable conditions for Jesus preaching and ministry.  He  announced the coming of the messiah, preached conversion (metanoia), provided mentorship and as an example, surrendered himself to the Lordship of Christ.  John the baptist was creating a favorable environment and making it easy for Jesus to enter into and operate in the lives of the people.

John's mission becomes our mission.  How do we create favorable conditions for Christ to enter into and operate in our lives?  For example:  Do we spend time in private prayer, meditation and devotions?  Are we learning more about Jesus and the Kingdom by studying the scriptures?  Are there things that we need to eliminate that impede our conscious contact with God or which devalue my relationship with Jesus.

John the Baptist shows us that when we prepare the way of The Lord in our own lives, we are better equipped to create favorable conditions for for God to operate in the lives of friends, family, coworkers and neighbors.

Teacup Browsing

• While overall, charitable giving is up, giving for churches is on the decline.

• And job opportunities for professing members of those churches are way down, especially if you're. "Wallonian." 

• NYT's short on ISIS.

• The woman (yes, the woman) who invented Iraq.

• Soccer or football?

• CofE's soccer prayers.  It didn't help, them.

• Canterbury and Rome on the (very long way).  According to ENS, "The burdens of division continue but the opportunities for new collaboration and much deeper understanding between the two world communions are compelling and timely."  Just not in cricket.

• Catholics Hilaire Billoc and G.K. Chesterton (following traditional Catholic social teaching) as well asmany Anglican theologians including Phillip Blond and John Milbank have offered an alternative to Piketty-mania: namely, Distributism.  Which is not what it sounds like. FAQ.  Plan to hear about more about it in response to Piketty's blockbuster NYT best seller, Capital in the Twenty-First Century.

• Il Papa excommunicates the Sopranos...

• And Maureen Dowd and Francis are seeing things closer than they seem.

• Rolheiser on Living without fear of God.

• Greg Boyd on legalism and more legalisms.

• Inspiration:  this woman works 2 jobs so that she can do this for lunch.

• The dedicated life of Ann B.

• Monasticism moves to Disney.

• Five most visited holy sites.

• You've heard of the running of the bulls?  Here's the Thai version.

• Another art critic.

• Two church signs this week:

Daily Meditation: The Matthew 18 Approach to Resolving Conflict

Daily Meditation for Thursday June 19, 2014

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.' If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector."  Matthew 18:15-17

_______________________________

Jesus' Matthean teaching on reconciliation is beautiful in its simplicity and it works, not only in the church but also at home and in the workplace.

1.  Go to the person you have the problem with.  That seems intuitive.  The problem is that when we have a problem with someone, we often go to anyone and everyone who will listen, except the person we're in conflict with, dragging in unnecessary parities and often engaging them in gossip.  The triangulation that takes place between spouses and their in-laws during a marital argument is a good example; when the spouses make up, the in-laws may remain incensed. Go to him or her first; and go alone!  

2.  Bring an impartial person with you if the first meeting was unfruitful.  We don't want to bring someone whom we've already influenced but rather a person of reconciliatory abilities who will help shed unbiased light.  The person is not a tag-team partner but rather a person who can see strengths and weaknesses in both parties and navigate a course toward reconciliation.

3. Treat him as a pagan or a tax-collector.  Sometimes, especially when there is serious injury, immediate reconciliation may not be possible (although reconciliation remains the goal).  Jesus is not saying here, "Okay, the write them off!"  On the contrary, Jesus' own personal attitude toward tax-collectors and other "offenders" is instructive:  he loved them, desired their good, and remained in their midst as an instrument of reconciliation.  In Matthew 11, for example, Jesus is accused of being “a friend of tax collectors and sinners” and Jesus quotes them in affirmation.  You can almost hear Matthew say under his breath “You bet, he sure is!”

The restorative justice of the Kingdom of God doesn't seek revenge or punitive measures, it, above all      seeks the good of the other, even when the other is someone who we profoundly disagree with.

Rule of St. Benedict: Prologue Pt. V

Once again thanks to Br. Jerome Leo of St. Mary's Monastery

Also, for those interested in lay Benedictine spirituality for the 21st century, there is a great retreat coming up in Dallas:

17^thAnnual Dallas Benedictine Experience  

 June 25-28, 2014

The Catholic Conference Center, Dallas, Texas 

 

The 17th annual multi-denominational Dallas Benedictine Experiencewill take place at The Catholic Conference and Formation Center in Dallas, Texas from Wednesday, June 25 through Saturday, June 28, 2014. 

 

This monastic experience is presented by The Friends of St. Benedict, Washington, D.C. and is open to men and women, laity and clergy of all denominations.  Participants will live on the campus of the center for four days, forming a temporary monastic community to experience the balanced way of life of The Rule of St. Benedict as it divides each day into private and group prayer, study, work, and monastic silence.  Four Benedictine Offices (Lauds, Sext, Vespers, and Compline) will be chanted each day in English in Gregorian chant. 

 

For further information, please e-mail dallasbenedictine@yahoo.com or call 214-339-8483.   

_____________________________

January 4, May 5, September 4
Prologue (continued)

Having our loins girded, therefore,
with faith and the performance of good works (Eph. 6:14),
let us walk in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel,
that we may deserve to see Him
who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:12).

For if we wish to dwell in the tent of that kingdom,
we must run to it by good deeds
or we shall never reach it.

But let us ask the Lord, with the Prophet,
"Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,
or who shall rest upon Your holy mountain" (Ps. 14:1)?

After this question,
let us listen to the Lord
as He answers and shows us the way to that tent, saying,
"The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."

This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).

It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).
Thus also the Apostle Paul
attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself,
but said,
"By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
And again he says,
"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17).

REFLECTION

Very briefly, there is an excellent theology of works and faith here.
We need to recognize that there is no good in our works that is not of God, of
the saving act of Jesus. We also need to hear that
works are important means of showing God how much we love Him and
believe in Him. Works are the logical result of faith. We all
need faith and no one is anything at all in terms of good without
God, without Christ's perfect sacrifice.

Our Baptism allows us to do good, because it incorporates (literally
"in-bodies" us!) into God. In His Mystical Body, we receive the boon of the
ability to do good.

We can get so accustomed to this that we can forget that without Him we
could do absolutely nothing of any worth whatever. That is why it is so very
important to make the Morning Offering, to tie our own poor works, prayers,
joys and sufferings to those of Christ and the Cross. Plunged into Jesus,
they become tools of infinite merit and worth!

So yes, we must do good works, but, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory!" Works and faith are not the Western
thought dichotomy of "yes and no" of, "either or," but the Zen mind
of "both and." Without God, neither works nor ourselves have any
meaning at all. With God, both are enriched, but only because of Him.

Love and prayers,
Jerome,OSB
http://www.stmarysmonastery.org
Petersham, MA

Prologue Part V

Having our loins girded, therefore,
with faith and the performance of good works (Eph. 6:14),
let us walk in His paths
by the guidance of the Gospel,
that we may deserve to see Him
who has called us to His kingdom (1 Thess. 2:12).

For if we wish to dwell in the tent of that kingdom,
we must run to it by good deeds
or we shall never reach it.

But let us ask the Lord, with the Prophet,
"Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,
or who shall rest upon Your holy mountain" (Ps. 14:1)?

After this question,
let us listen to the Lord
as He answers and shows us the way to that tent, saying,
"The one Who walks without stain and practices justice;
who speaks truth from his heart;
who has not used his tongue for deceit;
who has done no evil to his neighbor;
who has given no place to slander against his neighbor."

This is the one who,
under any temptation from the malicious devil,
has brought him to naught (Ps. 14:4)
by casting him and his temptation from the sight of his heart;
and who has laid hold of his thoughts
while they were still young
and dashed them against Christ (Ps. 136:9).

It is they who,
fearing the Lord (Ps. 14:4),
do not pride themselves on their good observance;
but,
convinced that the good which is in them
cannot come from themselves and must be from the Lord,
glorify the Lord's work in them (Ps. 14:4),
using the words of the Prophet,
"Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory" (Ps. 113, 2nd part:1).
Thus also the Apostle Paul
attributed nothing of the success of his preaching to himself,
but said,
"By the grace of God I am what I am" (1 Cor. 15:10).
And again he says,
"He who glories, let him glory in the Lord" (2 Cor. 10:17).

REFLECTION

Very briefly, there is an excellent theology of works and faith here.
We need to recognize that there is no good in our works that is not of God, of
the saving act of Jesus. We also need to hear that
works are important means of showing God how much we love Him and
believe in Him. Works are the logical result of faith. We all
need faith and no one is anything at all in terms of good without
God, without Christ's perfect sacrifice.

Our Baptism allows us to do good, because it incorporates (literally
"in-bodies" us!) into God. In His Mystical Body, we receive the boon of the
ability to do good.

We can get so accustomed to this that we can forget that without Him we
could do absolutely nothing of any worth whatever. That is why it is so very
important to make the Morning Offering, to tie our own poor works, prayers,
joys and sufferings to those of Christ and the Cross. Plunged into Jesus,
they become tools of infinite merit and worth!

So yes, we must do good works, but, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us,
but to Your name give the glory!" Works and faith are not the Western
thought dichotomy of "yes and no" of, "either or," but the Zen mind
of "both and." Without God, neither works nor ourselves have any
meaning at all. With God, both are enriched, but only because of Him.

Love and prayers,
Jerome,OSB
http://www.stmarysmonastery.org
Petersham, MA

TOP SECRET: Daily Meditation for June 19, 2014

Daily Meditation for Wednesday June 19, 2014

"Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. 3 Therefore whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops."  Luke 12:2-3

________________

In the various twelve-step programs there is a saying:  You're only as sick as the secrets you keep.  There are two dimensions of this.  Dr. Alex Lickerman writing in Psychology Today ("The danger of keeping secrets") says that:

They may very well be right. Though not all truths need to be shared with everyone—or even anyone—to maintain a healthy and happy life, concealing some truths is like swallowing slow-acting poison: one's insides gradually rot. 

 A second potentially injurious form of secrecy has to do with the lies that we tell ourselves and in so doing, attempt the impossible task of keeping secrets from God.

How can we avoid toxic secrets or spiritual self-deception?

1.  Everyone should have at least one close, intimate friendship in which one may be completely honest and open about issues.  As C.S. Lewis famously quipped, "Frienship is born at that moment when one person says to another: 'What!  You too?  I thought I was the only one!' "

2.  Having a good spiritual director is another aid in avoiding deception and self-deception.  A spiritual director or confessor will provide non-judgmental, corrective feedback helping us avoid our spiritual blind spots.

3.  Cultivate spiritual mindfulness and prayer.  The key to Christianity is in our ability to hear and recognize when God is speaking to us, personally. Without that ability we will never grasp the principles by which God works in our lives.

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