News & Notes: Sept. 28, 2010

September 28, 2010

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

A rich man… a poor man…an eternal rift between the two…begging that a reminder be sent to others so they can avoid this fate…a reminder that we have all we need to recognize…to share…to change. This is Sunday’s gospel of the rich man and Lazarus in a nutshell. The story seems at first glance rather black and white: those with more need to share with those who have little. In doing this, however, we must first recognize that the “more” that we do have is pure gift, and therefore, not really ours.

This truth, however, is not the thought that continued to return to me after putting the Scriptures down. Rather, what haunted me was the phrase that Abraham spoke to the rich man after the rich man asked to have someone return from the dead to warn his brothers of the fate that could be theirs if they continued to live their selfish ways: “If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded if someone should rise from the dead.”

Well… we Christians have been granted the rich man’s request. Christ came back from the dead not only to open the way to eternal life for each of us…but to remind us that all he said and did was to be listened to and put into practice in our own lives.

This reading seemed to resonate with me as I followed the news this past week. The United Nations convened to consider a path to peace for our world. At the same time, former President Clinton also hosted the Clinton Global Initiatives. Two assemblies, whose ambassadors comprised various ethnic backgrounds, religions, and places of origin, gathered together in an attempt to seek solutions to countless challenges and divisions.

Although I am all for diplomacy, it seemed to me that Clinton’s initiative held a greater influence in many ways. I believe this may be true simply because the Clinton initiative appeared to have thrown out a wider net in its invitation to a much more diverse group of people. The UN gathered diplomats, government agents, heads of state, and other political and economic experts who shared their insights and suggested possible directions, but their focus seemed to center on blame. Who was responsible for this… who was being belligerent…who would not bend… What left me rather disenchanted was that so much seemed to be talk and bickering about who had “the” answer while at the same time discrediting others. The Clinton initiative, however, raised 6 billion dollars this year alone to apply to creative ways of eliminating hunger, poverty and disease. Rather than fault finding, the Clinton initiative did its best to seek solutions to very evident problems that permeate our world. I do not claim to support all the means that have been suggested or implemented in their application of solutions, but I do applaud the approach to seeking solutions rather than arguing over philosophies and points of view. Peace is not garnered because land is owned, wealth possessed, munitions stored, or particular governmental structures professed. Peace begins when I recognize that each of us brings to the solution some treasured insight that can help us all. We need but to listen…truly listen… and then exert our energies in an effort to solve problems…lessen burdens…and create just systems of governing and accountability for all people, particularly those who have little if any voice.

Each of us is empowered by God to live fully and to find ways for all people to live fully as well. If we silence any voice who comes to the table in the hope of finding a “better way” we may well sabotage any means of finding true peace.

Perhaps this week we can ask ourselves a few questions before we enter into the larger world arena. What voices do I silence? What obligation do I have to share with others the gifts I have been given? How do I accept from others what they have to offer me?

There is much to ponder, but if each of us begins by reflecting on our own paths to peace within our own families, communities and neighborhoods, only then will a greater peace become possible.

May your week be grace-filled!

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

News & Notes: Sept. 21, 2010

September 21, 2010

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

I am not often taken aback by a Scripture reading.  This is by no means an expression of pride or an admission that I am beyond delighting in Scripture or finding Scripture intriguing or moving.  It is, however, an admission (a rather humbling one) that too often I do not really “hear” what Christ is trying to say through his word.  I may be stepping into a large puddle of presumption when I attempt to share my surprise in this week’s gospel; however, I believe I am surrounded by good company after hearing a wonderful homily and reading a commentary on this gospel to help me to truly “listen.”

The story (in the event you may not have listened either!) was about a shrewd and dishonest servant who was on the verge of losing his job because his supervisor questioned his integrity.  The servant then began to plot a way to avoid living on the street for he knew he could not do manual labor and he felt he was above begging for sustenance.  The dishonest servant called into his presence all those who owed his master money or goods and began to cut their debts in half in the hope he would be seen in a more favorable light.  I could poke holes in his plot, but rather than doing that I want to reflect a bit on his “shrewd dishonesty” as well as the comment made by Jesus in regard to this servant… “And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. ‘For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than are the children of light.’”

I don’t think Jesus was cheering on dishonesty, but perhaps what he was saying was simply that we human beings spend more time on what is passing than on what is eternal.  We worry, plot, plan and anticipate work, vacation, schedules, investments, etc but we often give little time to our souls.  We reference Mapquest and plot our travels with great care.  We Google the best price for any given item.  We make arrangements for hotels, rental cars and meals when traveling…and yet all too often when it comes to our spiritual life we fail to execute any plan for living more deeply who we are… human beings saturated with God’s spirit.

In a commentary regarding this reading John Shea ,a contemporary theologian,  reflected on visiting a doctor and hearing the doctor’s assessment of his physical needs.  After hearing the doctor’s prognosis for his human life, John moved to the spiritual realm and had this to say…

“ If a spiritual doctor would volunteer the same advice, it might sound like, ‘Jack, what you don’t want to do is lose your zest for life and keep on going as if nothing were missing, making more and more out of the material and social dimensions as if they could do it for you on their own.  What you want to do is to learn how to become alert to what threatens spirit and to act effectively to guard spirit from dissipation.  And if you do lose spirit, stop and don’t go on until you find it.”

Perhaps what is disordered in our lives is that we don’t take enough time to slow down and recognize the spiritual malaise that has infected us.  We need to be as wise about our spiritual lives as the shrewd servant was about his physical survival.  What do we engage in to keep ourselves spiritually well and living fully?  Do we read Scripture and reflect on its meaning in our lives?  Do we participate in Sunday liturgy (do we google Catholic Sunday Mass times when we are on the road even as we google and mapquest  the best restaurants, hotels and places to see?)  Do we engage in conversations about our faith?  Do we attend spiritual talks that challenge us to live more deeply?

Perhaps each of us needs to be more shocked, moved or delighted by what Scripture holds for us.  It was written to show us the way to life and life to the full.  If we haven’t read Scripture or really heard it lately…is it any wonder that we find ourselves on automatic pilot rather than engaged in true living?

May each of us be open to hearing God’s word… and may we be moved and inspired to live it!

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen

News & Notes: Sept. 14, 2010

September 14, 2010

Dear Parents,

God’s peace!

On Saturday I was running a few errands so I could diligently “check off” a few of life’s duties and move on to the other tasks on my “to do list.”  I was sitting in my car at a traffic light prepared to make a right turn when I noticed an old woman stepping out onto the street.  All traffic was at a standstill momentarily, when suddenly the cross traffic’s light changed to green.  The woman stood in the middle of the street as cars whizzed by her.  She was trapped and clearly panicked.  At this point, there was a break in traffic, and she began to complete her walk across the busy street.  It was at that point that I became the victim of a woman, clearly out of sorts,  who was in the car behind me.  She began to honk her horn over and over again. I glanced in my rear view mirror, and even from a distance I could see she was visibly upset with my refusal to make a right turn on a red light.  She wildly gestured for me to make that turn even if it meant crossing into the walkway where the woman was slowly making her way to the sidewalk.  The driver behind me had a clear view of the old woman, and yet, the honking and gesturing persisted.  (Thank God for air tight car windows!)

I continued on in an effort to check yet a few more tasks off my errand list, but I couldn’t shake the experience from my mind.  What could have been so important as to cause someone harm?  As the day wore on I found myself reflecting on other occurrences in life that reflect this same attitude.  I believe we have lost a sense of decency…of respect for our fellow human beings.  This might seem to be a rather harsh statement; however, I challenge you to take a moment to reflect on the world in which we live and how convenience (for “my living”) has superseded seemingly all else.

We are asked to refrain from texting while driving… to stop at red lights…to avoid weaving in and out of traffic.   Yet, we participate in these actions often in the name of efficiency.  We sometimes grow impatient with those who attempt to help us in stores and in restaurants, and we fail to give others the benefit of the doubt when things don’t work as we planned them.  Perhaps this is the result of “isolation.”  We are more prone to communicate via email, text, voicemail, even “snail mail” rather than meeting the person face to face in the hope of true resolution.

It seems that it is so very easy to pass judgment on others, to assume the worst about people, and to draw negative conclusions about someone simply because we are literally not seeing them eye to eye.  It is difficult to speak with bravado and absolute certainty when we are standing before someone and seeing them as they are…human beings who are just like us.

Jesus was good at recognizing people.  He traveled on foot…he communicated person to person and occasionally to large crowds… he asked questions…he told stories…he was never in a hurry.  Often times the apostles grew frustrated with him because while on the way to a duty he became sidetracked by someone in need.

This past Sunday we heard the wonderful gospel reminding us that we are lost sheep.  We stray…we make mistakes…we wander off…and Jesus leaves all the others to find us no matter what we have gotten ourselves into.  Even as we recognize ourselves in the place of the lost sheep, we must also recognize that our brothers and sisters are lost at times as well.  The old woman crossing the street was out on a limb…struggling for survival amidst a sea of vehicles that contained people who chose not to see this woman who was in distress.  She was clearly only an obstacle to the woman whose horn honked behind me.

What choices do we make in life?  Do I choose efficiency over connecting with others?  Do I take time to talk with the man or woman working at the grocery store who provides a much needed service for me?  Do I let someone into traffic who suddenly realized he/she was in the wrong lane?  Do I recognize that rules and guidelines apply to me as well as to others?  Do I express gratitude to others for those every day things that I just assume should happen?

How will we, as Christians, restore civility to our world?  How can we respond to others in a personal way simply by giving others the benefit of doubt?  How will we show others that people are far more important to us than any scheduled event or happening?

I know there are times when I have been the woman honking… when I have perceived others needs as less important than my own… for these times, I ask forgiveness while also asking God to open my eyes that I might recognize those who I am blessed to have in my midst.

May your week be filled with moments of recognizing God’s presence among you.

In prayer,

Sr. Maureen