Gospel text for Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, 20 July 2013

John 20:11-18        Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflection        Once upon a time there was a couple. From the instant they met something stirred inside each of them. They tenderly touched fingers to fingers, looked into each other’s eyes, told stories and laughed. When it rained they huddled close in the still protection of a cave and waited for the sun to return. One day an official arrived and said, “I have a book you must read. It tells you everything you need to know about love and relationships. It will tell you when it is proper for you to touch your fingers together, when you should look into each other’s eyes and when you should look away. It will tell you how to build a proper house. Everything you need to know about love and life is in this book. 

Being in love or learning about love? Being in love transforms us. Learning about love informs us. I believe the task of the 21st century is to move beyond this dichotomy or dualistic way of thinking and being. We are growing into non-dual consciousness as we recognize that we are people of mind and soul, body and spirit, science and religion. All of it is informed and transformed in God. We human beings are most fully alive when we welcome the paradox, live into the contradictions and refuse to be prisioners of judgement; good feeling - bad feeling; right thinking - wrong thinking; subject - object; other - self;  dead - alive. Non-dual consciousness emerges as humanity steps beyond a world divided into two camps into an awareness that embraces all that is. 

This is what Jesus was talking about when the Jews were questioning whether he was the messiah and he unequivocally declared,  “The father and I are one” (John 10.30). It was a radical statement of non-dual consciousness and it nearly got Jesus stoned. Then there was Jesus praying for the disciples,  another example of non-dual consciousness. “The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one..” (John 17.22-23). 

All things are by God and with God and in God. No thing is outside of God, which is to say, all that is is of God. Non-dual consciousness apprehends there is only God; unborn and undying, being and nonbeing, always and everywhere, beyond all names and within all names. Paul’s counsel to the Romans, “Though we are many, we are one body,” (Ro 12.5) is yet another expression of the inclusivity of non-dual consciousness. Humanity and divinity are not apart from each other. As Jesus said, “The Father and I are one.”

I believe Mary Magdalene was the first person in Western spirituality following Jesus to experience and express non-dual consciousness. I believe that is how she recognized the resurrected Jesus. I believe that is why she is the apostle to the apostles. I believe that is why more and more people are fascinated by her presence in the Christian narrative. I believe that is why we observe the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 13 July 2014

Matthew 13:1-9,18-23        Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. Such great crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat there, while the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables, saying: "Listen! A sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell on the path, and the birds came and ate them up. Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and they sprang up quickly, since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched; and since they had no root, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seeds fell on good soil and brought forth grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Let anyone with ears listen!"

"Hear then the parable of the sower. When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what is sown in the heart; this is what was sown on the path. As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy; yet such a person has no root, but endures only for a while, and when trouble or persecution arises on account of the word, that person immediately falls away. As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the lure of wealth choke the word, and it yields nothing. But as for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty."  

Reflection     Awhile ago a man came to my office and told me his story. He said I could share it. Cal began, “I have been far from a perfect man and certainly not the perfect brother. My relationship with one of my brothers has been troubled  for a long time. The other day it went over the edge. My brother sent me a scathing email message. It was filled with obscenities and vicious lies. It roundly assasinated my character and made me feel physically sick. The first thing I wanted to do was lash out - forward his message to everyone. I wanted to expose my brother’s loathsome words. Let others see just what kind of person he is. But I was so shaken up I knew I should do nothing.”

Cal paused. Became pensive. “For me, words matter. I realized if I passed on my brothers vicious words I would be spreading his bad seed among other people. The last thing in the world I want to do is sow my bother’s hateful seeds. So I deleted his email. I want to spread seeds of kindness and forgiveness but it is not easy. I can’t think of anything kind to say about him but I am beginning to think he must be suffering to say such hateful and untrue things about me.”

Cal is talking about the power of words; the power of words to kill and the power of words to give life. He understands that words are like seeds, they are cast out extravagantly and some will land on fertile soil and multiply. Others on falllow land and die.

Not only are we Christians  invited to be fertile soil within which the Word of God may grow and multiply, we are also invited to be mindful of the words we sow. If we choose to speak lies, spout obscenities, stir up anger or spark dissent, some of our words will fall on fallow ground and die and others of them will land on fertile soil and multiply. An emotional moment in which we lose control of our words can lead to thirty, sixty one hundred times the anger or fear or bitterness being spread among people. 

The power of words is astonishing. A single word may blossom and multiply God’s loving presence a hundredfold. Likewise, a single word may harbor the killing power of a bullet.

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Gospel text for Sunday 6 July 2014

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30        Jesus said to the crowd, "To what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another,

`We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, `He has a demon'; the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, `Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!' Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds."

At that time Jesus said, "I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.

"Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Reflection   Caught between a rock and a hard place. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Basically Jesus is saying, nothing pleases these people! They hear great music and do not respond with joy. They witness great suffering and do not respond with sadness. All they do is sit around in coffee shops, flaunt their intelligence and complain.    Quite the social commentary two thousand years ago and today.

But Jesus does not leave us there, stuck between the proverbial rock and hard place. Jesus offers a way into freedom. “Come to me… take my yoke… learn from me…” The thing is, we cannot come to Jesus when we are caught up in the local social political commentary. We cannot take from Jesus when we are full of our selves. We cannot learn from Jesus when we rely on our intellect. 

Still, there is a way to freedom. We come to Jesus when we are as infants; artless, guileless and unpretentious. We take from Jesus when we yoke ourselves to him, finding our identity in him even as he finds his identity in God the Father.  We learn from Jesus when we empty our selves of our intellects. In the words of the ancient wisdom teacher Lao-Tzu, “A wise man has no extensive knowledge; he who has extensive knowledge is not a wise man.” (Tao te Ching, c550 BCE) 

Another wise man, Pope Francis, wrote, “If one has the answers to all the questions, that is proof that God is not with him. It means that he is a false prophet using religion for himself. The great leaders of the people of God, like Moses, have always left room for doubt. You must leave room for the Lord, not for our certainties; we must be humble.” How might our world be transformed if everyone prayed for the grace to be “gentle and humble in heart?” How glorious if althogether we found “rest for our souls?” 

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Hebrew Testament Text for Sunday 29 June 2014

Genesis 22:1-14         God tested Abraham. He said to him, "Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains that I shall show you." So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac; he cut the wood for the burnt offering, and set out and went to the place in the distance that God had shown him. On the third day Abraham looked up and saw the place far away. Then Abraham said to his young men, "Stay here with the donkey; the boy and I will go over there; we will worship, and then we will come back to you." Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on his son Isaac, and he himself carried the fire and the knife. So the two of them walked on together. Isaac said to his father Abraham, "Father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." He said, "The fire and the wood are here, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God himself will provide the lamb for a burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

When they came to the place that God had shown him, Abraham built an altar there and laid the wood in order. He bound his son Isaac, and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to kill his son. But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven, and said, "Abraham, Abraham!" And he said, "Here I am." He said, "Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me." And Abraham looked up and saw a ram, caught in a thicket by its horns. Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son. So Abraham called that place "The LORD will provide"; as it is said to this day, "On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided."

Reflection       If God really is love, shouldn’t God be telling Abraham to wrap his precious son in cotton, put him in a closet so no harm would come to him? Why is the Bible full of so many ‘hard stories?’“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away…. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away…(Matt 5.30-31) Not to mention Jesus telling at least three people to sell everything they own and follow him. These are hard words. They are particularly ‘hard’ if we read them literally. 

How do we hear these hard stories?  As Cynthia Bourgeault points out, if we hear the stories literally with our small selves, with our ego selves, our immediate response is, “No way.” (Wisdom Jesus, 51) From the perspective of our small selves, we cling to what we have. We hold onto what is literally in our hands. There is no way we would agree to pluck out our right eye, chop off our right hand, sell all of our possessions or sacrifice our child. But the ‘hard teaching’ stories are not literal instructions intended to dictate external actions. 

These ‘hard teaching’ stories are about inner transformation. To ‘hear’ the deeper level of meaning intended by these legends we must learn to listen with our hearts. Listening with our hearts we realize we do not want to cling to anything that stands between us and God. Listening with our hearts we realize that whatever stands between us and God are our idols… our Isaacs.

When all reasonable hope of having a child was long gone (he was 100 years old after all) Abraham received the unspeakably precious gift of a son. Naturallly, Abraham loved Isaac. But he had to grow into the place where he could give back to God what was God’s in the first place. Abraham had to realize that all that he had was gift and to cling to anything, even and especially that which was most precious, would seperate him from God. And so in the legend, Abraham did what was unthinkable. He handed his child over to God. And God returned Isaac to Abraham, unscathed.

The question before us is, what are our Isaacs? What are our idols? Could our idol be our family? our partner? our career? our ministry? our money? There is nothing wrong with loving our family or our partner. There is nothing wrong with having a career, pursuing our vocation or earning money. There is nothing wrong with loving our eyes or hands or our child. AND - anything good can become an idol.  Which I believe is the point of the legend of Abraham and Isaac. What is your Isaac?

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Gospel Text for Sunday 22 June 2014

Matthew 10:24-39       Jesus said to the twelve disciples,  "A disciple is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the disciple to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household!

"So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. And even the hairs of your head are all counted. So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

"Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.

"Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

"For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one's foes will be members of one's own household.

"Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

Reflection       

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord!

Unnumbered blessings give my spirit voice;

tender to me the promise of his word;

in God my Savior shall my heart rejoice.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his Name!

Make known his might, the deeds his arm has done;

his mercy sure, from age to age to same;

his holy Name--the Lord, the Mighty One.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of his might!

Powers and dominions lay their glory by.

Proud hearts and stubborn wills are put to flight,

the hungry fed, the humble lifted high.

Tell out, my soul, the glories of his word!

Firm is his promise, and his mercy sure.

Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord

to children's children and for evermore!**                                                                                    

This great hymn says it all. If only I would be as forthright in my speech when I leave church on Sunday! That is what Jesus is instructing the disciples and us to do, “Have no fear…  What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.” We are to “tell out” our souls, to make known the wisdom and truth revealed to us.  In the words of Ken Wilber, “shine your headlights into the eyes of the complacent.” ***

Jesus knows this will not be easy. Speaking deep truth of the soul stirs the pot, unsettles the peace, even puts us cross-ways with family members. When we speak truth, though we may still experience fear, it is no longer fear that is driving the ship. Fear becomes a mere emotion in the great vessel of freedom. 

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one’s chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.” Like Jesus, Nelson Mandela calls us to action, to stand on rooftops or whisper in strategic places and demand the dignity and care of all of humanity. Now, let us find ways to dignify the migrant women and children left at bus stops in Tucson and Phoenix without resource to care for themselves. 

Supplies may be dropped off Catholic Community Services, 140 W. Speedway, Tucson, AZ, north entrance, on Monday-Friday, from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm. Please do not drop anything off at Casa Mariposa or the Greyhound Station because they do not have the space.

         

instant ramen soup (cup of noodles)

bottled of water and Gatorade

bananas (good potassium)

flavored Pedialyte for dehydration

sweaters or hooded sweatshirts for children and adults

socks for children

children’s blankets

diapers (size 3 and 4)

sanitary supplies (sanitary napkins especially needed)

toothbrushes and toothpaste

clean stuffed animals

Beth Lowry, of Casa Mariposa, has asked those wishing to volunteer to attend a Volunteer Orientation/Training on Saturday, June 21st, from 11 am – 1:30 pm at Most Holy Trinity Catholic Church located at 1300 N. Greasewood Road, Tucson, AZ.

** Words: Timothy Dudley-Smith inspired by The Song of Mary (Magnificat) (Luke 1:46-56);

Words © 1962, Renewed. 1990 by Hope Publishing Co., Carol Stream, IL 60188. 

*** Ken Wilbur, One Taste: Daily Reflections on Integral Spirituality, p35

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Gospel text for Trinity Sunday, 15 June 2014

Matthew 28.16-20        Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything that I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’

     

Reflection        Love poured out, love received. This is the dance among the Three Persons of the Trinity. The dance step, or action of love being poured out, is kenosis, from the greek kenóō which means ‘to empty.’ God emptied God’s self to be incarnate in the Son.  By this same self-emptying love, Jesus poured himself out, gave himself away to everyone he encountered. And then, to insure the continuation of the dance, God the Father in Jesus the Christ sent the Holy Spirit to live and breathe in each of us so that we too can participate in the divine dance.

Which brings us to the empty place, the opening at the foreground of Rublev’s icon ( see above). This is where we enter the Trinity. We bring our gifts to the table  knowing that all that we are and all that we have is gift, poured out to us by the Father, with the Son, in the Holy Spirit. We come to God’s table and offer our selves, our souls and bodys  to participate in the holy dance of the Trinity.

This of course begs the question, how do we participate in the dance? I believe St. Francis of Assisi has the answer, “Pray ceaselessly, use words when necessary.” Now let me assure you, praying ceaselessly does not mean stopping everything and  dropping to our knees. Most of us are not heading for a convent or monastery. We, who are called to live in the world as teachers, bankers, custodians, gardeners, retirees, parents, health workers, care givers, scientists, CEOs, friends, the way we pray ceaselessy is by dignifying and caring for one another and all of creation. 

When we dignify and care for the weak, the disenfranchised, the sick, the migrant women and children left at bus stops in Tuscon with no means of support we are in the dance, the divine dance of the Trinity, we are participating in the aliveness of God. We continue the dance by pouring ourselves out to dignify and care for one another and all of creation. This is our true offering to God; to open ourselves to extend dignity and care to the broken, suffering body of Christ in the world. 

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Gospel text for Sunday 8 June 2014

John 20:19-23        When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you." After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, "Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you." When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, "Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.”

Reflection        And Jesus came and stood among them, stands among all of us who are locked in the upper room, locked in our fear, suffering or self-loathing and says, “Peace be with you.”

Peace be with us?  What is that about? How can we be peaceful? This situation is dreadful. The world outside hates us – persecutes us – it’s exploding in violence and every dis-ease. And inside, we feel awful, guilty and broken-hearted.  We don’t follow You Jesus. We follow our selves.

And Jesus breathed on them (Huuuhhhhhh ) ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.’ 

Ohhh – what’s happening?  You are not going to condemn us? Rebuke us and cast us out? What is this strange calm, friendship we feel? How can there be ease in the midst of all our guilt and fear and tears? How can there be peace in the midst of all the hatred and violence in the world?

 And Jesus breathed on them (Huuuhhhhhh ) ‘Receive the Holy Spirit.

For three years Jesus ate with the disciples, talked with the disciples, walked with the disciples and when they arrived at locked doors, he knocked. But on the evening of the first day of the week, Jesus did not knock. He did not enter as the others had, through the doorway.

Jesus arrived as a spiritual presence rising within the hearts of the disciples, as close as their breath. And how did they know Jesus’ presence you ask? By the peace they experienced in spite of the fact that they had locked themselves into a room for fear of being persecuted. They knew Jesus’ presence by the peace they experienced in spite of the regret and guilt and pain in their broken hearts. 

I wonder if when Mary Magdalene saw how upset the disciples were, I wonder if she reminded them of the promise Jesus made while he was still with them? “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled, and do not let them be afraid.” (John 14.26-27)

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