Monday, July 30, 2012

Monday Morning Meditation #133

The perfect storm continues at work, for which I have to leave in just a few minutes, so I am afraid anything I have to say in this Monday Morning Meditation will have to brief. More information came along Friday about what I and my senior managers are expected to, and we all object to it. How to react to something that we think is illegal and consider unethical will be an intense but, alas, short discussion at my staff meeting this morning, given the need for an immediate response. At least, given that all my managers agree with me, I am pretty certain that I am not the crazy one. I am just the one caught in the eye of a hurricane. So, I ask for your continued prayers for guidance and clarity, and I thank you for the ones you have been saying on my behalf.

Stress aside, I have continued to read and enjoy Matthew, which continues to be a great gospel. This week I continued landed at  Chapter 13, which is replete with many parables. My favorite in this chapter is the following:
53 When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54 Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55 “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56 Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57 And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.”
58 And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
Reading: Matthew 15:53-58

Meditation: I have long been fascinated with the prophet being without honor in his own land. On a mundane level, I have had some experience with this, the most interesting being the time that we had a trainer coming to town from a sister organization, and everyone was excited to attend his lecture. Because I was one of the bosses, I was not scheduled to attend; indeed, there was no room for supervisors. Still, I was fascinated by his topic because it was one that I often trained. So, I called and asked if he would mind if I were to sit quietly in a corner for part of his training. He laughed and said that there was no problem and he would be delighted to have me there but I should be aware that he would be using my materials! I told him that was great. People would listen with greater confidence to the man who came from far away than to the woman who worked with them. It's a fact of life, and even Jesus had to contend with this oddity of human nature.

On a more elevated nature, Jesus not doing miracles because of people's lack of faith should cause us to consider our own faith. Perhaps some of that lack of faith (or occasional doubt) explains why God does not grant us more miracles in answer to prayer -- perhaps our lack of faith prevents this. Or, perhaps we even miss the miracles that are given to us because lack of faith has caused us not to look for them.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I now retire to private prayer to
thank God for all the miracles He does give us even when we our faith is not as strong as it should be, to repent for all the good that He has sent my way that I have not noticed, and to praise Him for His willingness to help our unbelief. And then, just because the situation is pressing on me so strongly, I will ask Him for clarity and guidance at today's staff meeting -- and maybe bring it up to Him again during that meeting!

I will leave you now to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I think you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too, as do readers of this blog who have taken the stroll over to his blog.)

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Spiritual Sunday #43: My Unremarkable House

For more Spiritual Sunday posts, I recommend that you wander over to the website of Charlotte and Ginger, who host the Spiritual Sunday meme.
I truly think my life is getting ahead of me! I was unable to link up last Sunday's spiritual Sunday, Temptation -- my own fault for waiting too long to upload -- so I hope that perhaps I can catch up with myself this Sunday.

Because I do not blog on Sundays -- keeping it as the sabbath, a practice started by Fr. Christian Mathis (Blessed Is the Kingdom) -- I usually use older posts (forgotten perhaps but hopefully still interesting) from one or another of my blogs that seem appropriate for this meme. It seems to work to bring out the older posts that many have not read before or ones from other blogs I maintain that readers of 100th Lamb may not know about.

Given that our house could have burned down this week, I suppose it is not a surprise that my thoughts have been about houses. So, the post I chose is about an earlier place where we lived: My Unremarkable House.

Wishing you a peaceful Sunday!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Saturday Quickie: Publisher Looking for Spiritual Books

Truly just a quickie. For anyone with a well-written manuscript, MSI Press is looking for writers of spiritual books to expand its spiritual line. The orientation is primarily Catholic, mystical or  Franciscan bent, and good writing is really a prerequisite; most MSI Press, if you check at Barnes & Noble or Amazon, are 5-star (or at least 4.5-star) books. The press is a small, traditional press with close relationships with its authors and provides much personal help and "education" to new authors, including a monthly newsletter that provides updated information on what the press is doing to market books and how authors can help those efforts and become better known, but it accepts fewer than 10% of manuscripts submitted. Still, you have lost nothing more than some time to submit a query by email. You can submit the query to editor@msipress.com. The press website has a form that can be used, but it is not necessary. If you have access to Writer's Market, there is a little more information there.

Monday, July 16, 2012

Monday Morning Meditation #131: God Wants Mercy for Us, Not Sacrifice from Us

Ah, quiet! All visitors have left. And peace! No traveling is required of me this week. (Next week will be a different story,  but for now, I am truly at peace and happy.) I was very pleased with Doah this weekend, as well. His group home chose to go to a movie during the time that he and I usually spend at Sunday evening Mass in his town (one over from San Ignatio). Doah chose to give up the movie for Mass. Those of us who are not mentally challenged would do well to learn from him. At Mass, we ran into two friends of mine whom Doah dearly loves and sat with them during Mass, after which we all we out to dinner together at KFC (Doah's favorite "restaurant"), an impromptu decision.

This week, as in the last couple of weeks, I continued to read and enjoy Matthew. I have to repeat: what a great gospel! This week I continued on to Chapter 12, where I find compelling words about God from Jesus in verse 7: "I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

Reading: Matthew 12:7

Meditation:  I found these words to be very comforting. So often we think that love of God is all about sacrifice -- and certainly sacrifice with cheer, where sacrifice is warranted, has immense value for many reasons -- but here we are told that God is not all about sacrifice. God is all about mercy. That is definitely "good news" and differs considerably from much of what comes from the Old Testament. I wonder if we miss out on a lot of mercy simply because we are so strongly focused on sacrifice that we do not notice mercy being extended to us even when we benefit from it.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I now retire to private prayer to praise God for all the ways in which He tries to teach us. I will ask God to help me be more open to His teaching, and I will repent for each time I have failed to notice God's mercy. As always,  I will thank God for wanting only the very best for us.

I will leave you now to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I think you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too, as do readers of this blog who have taken the stroll over to his blog.)

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.

Monday, July 9, 2012

Monday Morning Meditation #130: Let's Not Let Learning Be a Barrier to Our Relationship with God

Daughter Lizzie is home this week -- arrived on Friday -- with her boyfriend, a great guy from the Caribbean (family originating in Africa). We had a wonderful cookout/BBQ on Saturday with all the kids home: Shane and family, Doah, and Noelle. It has been years since that has been a possibility. The kids really enjoyed being with each other, and we enjoyed seeing them. Some of Lizzie's friends also came to visit, and it was enjoyable meeting them. Sunday they went to see friends in Cool (yes, there is a town called Cool in California), and Monday is up in the air, but I do have to go to work this morning, sigh! The cats have been excited to have overnight guests; Murjan and Intrepid are friendly souls, Simone less so (a bit of a fraidy cat but doing well).

This week, as in the last couple of weeks, I continued to read and enjoy Matthew. What a great gospel! I finished Chapter 10 from last week, and there were some things that I need to research further or talk to someone more knowledgeable than I, so I have put them aside for now and moved on to Chapter 11, where I find an important piece of information in verse 25: "At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children."

Reading: Matthew 11: 25

Meditation: So many times I have found my education, especially my Western education, to get in the way of my understanding something from God. I want logic. I want things to "make sense." Most of all, I want them to fit into my system of logic. And they don't. God does not work, of course, within any system of human logic but within a mystical manner of moving that may be beyond human understanding. The priest who baptized Doah, my mentally challenged son, said in his homily that people like Doah are given to us by God to help us understand for they can receive His spirit and transfer His love simply, without needing explanation. They are, in that respect, examples for the rest of us. It seems like Jesus is saying something along these lines.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I now retire to private prayer to praise God for how He is able to move within the simplest of people in ways that are greater than those open to the most learned of people. I will ask God to help me overcome barriers between us that pop us from my Western dependence upon logic and learning, and I will repent for each time I have tried to substitute study and knowledge for faith. As always,  I will thank God for the wonderful explanations and guidance given to us by Jesus and preserved for all ages by Matthew.

I will leave you now to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I think you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too, as do readers of this blog who have taken the stroll over to his blog.)

For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.

Thursday, July 5, 2012

The Hermit

The following story was shared with me by a friend. He has no idea of the author, but I tracked it down to Zadig by Voltaire, a book I read in college French classes and so, therefore, the story, reworked in the version sent by my friend, sounded familiar. For me, everything was predictable from about halfway through, and the story message was evident. Not so for my friend, perhaps because his life has been more complicated than mine. I am curious about your reactions to it.

In the reign of King Moabdar there lived at Babylon a young man named Zadig. He was handsome, rich, and naturally good-hearted; and at the moment when the story opens, he was travelling on foot to see the world, and to learn philosophy and wisdom. But, hitherto, he had encountered so much misery, and endured so many terrible disasters, that he had become tempted to rebel against the will of Heaven, and to believe that the Providence which rules the world neglects the good, and lets the evil prosper. In this unhappy spirit he was one day walking on the banks of the Euphrates, when he chanced to meet a venerable hermit, whose snowy beard descended to his girdle, and who carried in his hand a scroll which he was reading with attention. Zadig stopped, and made him a low bow. The hermit returned the salutation with an air so kindly, and so noble, that Zadig felt a curiosity to speak to him. He inquired what scroll was that which he was reading.

“It is the Book of Destiny," replied the hermit, “would you like to read it?"

He handed it to Zadig; but the latter, though he new a dozen languages, could not understand a word of it. His curiosity increased.

“You appear to be in trouble," said the kindly hermit.

“Alas!” said Zadig, "I have cause to be so."

“If you will allow me," said the hermit, "I will accompany you. Perhaps I may be useful to you. I am sometimes able to console the sorrowful." 
   
Zadig felt a deep respect for the appearance, the white beard, and the mysterious scroll of the old hermit, and perceived that his conversation was that of a superior mind. The old man spoke of destiny, of justice, of morality, of the chief good of life, of human frailty, of virtue and of vice, with so much power and eloquence that Zadig felt himself attracted by a kind of charm, and besought the hermit not to leave him until they should return to Babylon.
   
”I ask you the same favor," said the hermit. "Promise me that, whatever I may do, you will keep me company for several days."
   
 Zadig gave the promise; and they set forth together.
   
That night the travelers arrived at a grand mansion. The hermit begged for food and lodging for himself and his companion. The porter, who might have been mistaken for a prince, ushered them in with a contemptuous air of welcome. The chief servant showed them the magnificent apartments; and they were then admitted to the bottom of the table, where the master of the mansion did not condescend to cast a glance at them. They were, however, served with delicacies in profusion, and after dinner washed their hands in a golden basin set with emeralds and rubies. They were then conducted for the night into a beautiful apartment; and the next morning, before they left the castle, a servant brought them each a piece of gold.
   
“The master of the house," said Zadig, as they went their way, "appears to be a generous man, although a trifle haughty. He practices a noble hospitality." As he spoke, he perceived that a kind of large pouch which the hermit carried appeared singularly distended; within it was the golden basin, set with precious stones, which the old man had purloined. Zadig was amazed; but he said nothing.
   
 At noon the hermit stopped before a little house, in which lived a wealthy miser, and once more asked for hospitality. An old valet in a shabby coat received them very rudely, showed them into the stable, and set before them a few rotten olives, some mouldy bread, and beer which had turned sour. The hermit ate and drank with as much content as he had shown the night before; then, addressing the old valet, who had kept his eye upon them to make sure that they stole nothing, he gave him the two gold pieces which they had received that morning, and thanked him for his kind attention. "Be so good,” he added, “as to let me see your master."
    
The astonished valet showed them in.
    
"Most mighty signor," said the hermit, "I can only render you my humble thanks for the noble manner in which you have received us. I beseech you to accept this golden basin as a token of my gratitude."
   
The miser almost fell backwards with amazement. The hermit, without waiting for him to recover, set off with speed, with his companion.
   
“Holy Father," said Zadig, "what does all this mean? You seem to me to resemble other men in nothing. You steal a golden basin set with jewels from a signor who receives you with magnificence, and you give it to curmudgeon who treats you with indignity.
   
“My son," replied the hermit, "this mighty lord, who only welcomes travelers through vanity, and to display his riches, will henceforth grow wiser, while the miser will be taught to practice hospitality. Be amazed at nothing, and follow me."
    
Zadig knew not whether he was dealing with the most foolish or the wisest of all men. But the hermit spoke with such ascendency that Zadig, who besides was fettered by his promise, had no choice except to follow him.
    
That night they came to an agreeable house, of simple aspect, and showing signs of neither prodigality nor avarice. The owner was a philosopher, who had left the world, and who studied peacefully the rules of virtue and of wisdom, and who yet was happy and contented. He had built this calm retreat to please himself, and he received the strangers in it with a frankness which displayed no sign of ostentation. He conducted them himself to a comfortable chamber, where he made them rest awhile; then he returned to lead them to a dainty little supper. During their conversation they agreed that the affairs of this world are not always regulated by the opinions of the wisest of men. But the hermit still maintained that the ways of Providence are wrapped in mystery, and that men do wrong to pass their judgment on a universe of which they only see the smallest part. Zadig wondered how a person who committed such mad acts could reason so correctly.
   
At length, after a conversation as agreeable as instructive, the host conducted the two travelers to their apartment, and thanked heaven for sending him two visitors so wise and virtuous. He offered them some money, but so frankly that they could not feel offended. The old man declined, and desired to say farewell, as he intended to depart for Babylon at break of a day. They therefore parted on the warmest terms, and Zadig, above all, was filled with kindly feelings towards so amiable a man.
   
When the hermit and himself were in their chamber, they spent some time in praises of their host. At break of day the old man woke his comrade.
  
"We must be going," he remarked. "But while everyone is still asleep, I wish to leave this worthy man a pledge of my esteem." With these words, he took a torch and set the house on fire.
   
Zadig burst forth into cries of horror and would have stopped the frightful act. But the hermit, by superior strength, drew him away. The house was in a blaze; and the old man, who was now a good way off with his companion, looked back calmly at the burning pile.
    
"Heaven be praised!" he cried. "Our kind host’s house is destroyed from top to bottom!"
   
At these words Zadig knew not whether he should burst out laughing, call the reverend father an old rascal, knock him down, or run away. But he did none of these things. Still subdued by the superior manner of the hermit, he followed him against his will to their next lodging.
  
This was the dwelling of a good and charitable widow, who had a nephew of fourteen, her only hope and joy. She did her best to use the travelers well; and the next morning she bade her nephew guide them safely past a certain bridge, which, having recently been broken, had become dangerous to cross over. The youth, eager to oblige them, led the way.
   
“Come,” said the hermit, when they were half across the bridge, "I must show my gratitude towards your aunt;” as he spoke he seized the young man by the hair and threw him into the river. The youth fell, reappeared for an instant on the surface, and then was swallowed by the torrent.
   
“Oh, monster!” exclaimed Zadig, "oh, most detestable of men!”
   
“You promised me more patience," interrupted the old man. “Listen! Beneath the ruins of that house which Providence saw fit to set on fire, the owner will discover an enormous treasure; while this young man, whose existence Providence cut short, would have killed his aunt within a year, and you yourself in two."
   
“Who told you so, barbarian?" cried Zadig, "and even if you read the issue in your Book of Destiny, who gave you power to drown a youth who never injured you?”
   
While he spoke, he saw that the old man had a beard no longer, and that his face had become fair and young; his hermit's dress had disappeared: four white wings covered his majestic form, and shone with dazzling lustre.
   
“Angel of heaven!" cried Zadig, "you are then descended from the skies to teach an erring mortal to submit to the eternal laws?"
   
“Men,” replied the angel Jezrael, "judge all things without knowledge; and you, of all men, most deserved to be enlightened. The world imagines that the youth who has just perished fell by chance into the water, and that by a like chance the rich man's house was set on fire. But there is no such thing as chance; all is trial, or punishment, or foresight. Feeble mortal, cease to argue and rebel against what you ought to adore!”
    
As he spoke these words the angel took his flight to heaven. And Zadig fell upon his knees. 

Tuesday, July 3, 2012

The World Is Mine

From the Internet -- 
Today, upon a bus, I saw a very beautiful woman
And wished I were as beautiful.
When suddenly she rose to leave,
I saw her hobble down the aisle.
She had one leg and used a crutch.
But as she passed, she passed a smile.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two legs; the world is mine.

I stopped to buy some candy.
The lad who sold it had such charm.
I talked with him, he seemed so glad.
If I were late, it'd do no harm.
And as I left, he said to me,
"I thank you,
You've been so kind.
It's nice to talk with folks like you.
You see," he said, "I'm blind."
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two eyes; the world is mine.

Later while walking down the street,
I saw a child I knew.
He stood and watched the others play,
But he did not know what to do.
I stopped a moment and then I said,
"Why don't you join them dear?"
He looked ahead without a word.
I forgot, he couldn't hear.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I have two ears; the world is mine.

With feet to take me where I'd go..
With eyes to see the sunset's glow.
With ears to hear what I'd know.
Oh, God, forgive me when I whine.
I've been blessed indeed, the world is mine.
 
-- Anonymous (wish I knew who wrote it!)


Monday, July 2, 2012

Monday Morning Meditation #129: You Will Be Given the Words You Need

Life contains to tumble forward erratically. So much is going on at work that I have little time to blog. I spend little time at home these days, either traveling or, when in town, working late into the evening. Some aspects of why this is so I will not be able to share until August. So, once again, even though I had prepared, in part, several posts, I finished none of them in the 30 minutes or so I had most nights this past week before having to go to bed in order to arise five hours later and go to work. I have also added some exercise to my schedule -- not nearly enough, but I absolutely must lose 20 pounds in the next 20 days. I don't think that is even possible, but at work it is looming as requirement, so in addition to being busy and tired, I am also hungry! Oh, well, most of the time I am too busy to notice. If anyone knows any super fast diets, please let me know!

This week, as in the last couple of weeks, I continued to read and enjoy Matthew. It seems that I should be reading this during the Christmas season, but at any time of year, it is a good read. This week I stopped at Matthew 10: 19-20; the works there spoke strongly to me for they reflected something I have personally experienced. They are part of Matthew's description of what Jesus told His disciples when he sent them out to witness to the Gentiles:
19 But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say,  

20 for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.
Reading: Matthew 10: 19-20

Meditation:  While I have never been arrested (thank God), I have been in situations in which people have come to me for guidance of some sort -- at work, in our prayer group, etc., -- for which I have been quite unqualified to give advice. On many occasions, however, I found myself saying things I had never thought about before. These thoughts were not mine, yet they rang true for the person I was talking to. It has happened now many times when people have been seriously in need of help, or, in some cases, when people have begun to slip into unbelief or anger toward God. I don't have ANY answers. For heaven's sake, I am a recent convert. Who am I to teach anyone anything, let alone provide guidance. Yet, God has nearly always given me the words, words that surprise even me. Perhaps God does that because I ask every morning to be His instrument in helping all who come across my path in need of help. Perhaps God does that simply because He wants to or because He will use anyone he can to help anyone who needs His help.

Contemplation: That is far as I can go with you this Monday morning. I now retire to private prayer to praise God for the remarkable ways in which He can use nearly anyone, qualified or not, experienced or not, sometimes even willing or not. I will ask God to continue to give me the right words, and I will repent for each time I have thought I was capable of advising anyone on my own and, instead of using God's right words, have used my wrong ones. As always,  I will thank God for loving us so much that He will find any way possible to help us, sometimes highly unimaginable ways.

I will leave you now to your prayer and contemplation. First, though, I would like to bring to your attention a Monday morning prayer post that you might enjoy:

Fr. Austin Fleming, priest of the Archdiocese of Boston and pastor in Concord, Massachusetts, posts a prayer each Monday morning that he calls "Monday Morning Offering." I enjoy his prayers very much. I think you also will find them inspirational. He has graciously given me permission to include a link to his blog on my Monday Morning Meditation posts. (During the week, he also posts great homilies and other thoughtful discussions. I enjoy reading those, too, as do readers of this blog who have taken the stroll over to his blog.)



For additional inspiration throughout the week, I would point out two sets of blogs: (1) the list of devotional blogs on my sidebar and (2) my blogroll, where I am following a number of inspirational priests and writers about spiritual matters. I learn so very much from all these people. I highly recommend them to you.