Vigilance

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Vigilance

Watchful   Endurance

Anticipate   Eternal   Signs

The Path of Life

Return

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures: Psalm 16:11

You will show me the path of life.

I will have fullness of joy when I am with You.

I will have delights from your right hand forever.

Mark 13:26 and 27

At that time the Son of Man will come. All of the elect will be gathered together from the end of the earth to the limits of the sky.

Reflection

It is so important to keep our eyes open and to be vigilant. We see this all the time is sports. A player takes her or his eye off the ball and disaster follows. 

We are called to be watchful for the signs of the times so that we can spread the Good News of Jesus in our culture today. That is why we try to use all aspects of the media to reach out to people where they are.

This watchfulness helps us to endure and not give up. We realize that God will give us opportunities when we least expect them. We never give up.

We anticipate that God will never abandon us. Jesus talks about the Son of Man coming to us. We know that Jesus will always be with us to guide us----if only we are vigilant for the signs of His presence in our lives.

It can be easy for us to walk by someone who is in need and then later realize that person was really Jesus reaching out to us. We can be so involved with our own thoughts and desires that we take our eyes off Jesus in our midst.

The psalmist tells us that God wants to give us delights that are eternal. These gifts from God will last forever.

God sends signs to us that can point us in the direction of those delights. We can experience true joy when we listen to beautiful music that lifts our spirit. We can know how deeply God cares for us when we encounter the power of creation as we explore the limits of the sky.

When we are vigilant for these signs, we are led on the path of life. We grow closer to God and to our sisters and brothers. 

Jesus talks about the return of the Son of Man in our passage from Mark. We see that return all the time each time we care for those who have no home, no food, no friends, and no hope. We are called to show them the way to the path of life.  

Will we keep our eyes open?

1. How do you try to stay vigilant for the signs of God's presence in your life?

2. What are some of the opportunities God has given you recently to spread the Good News?

3. What do you experience as you meditate on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara) 

Widow

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Widow

Sacrificially   Unhindered

Trusting    Offering   Generously

She From Her Poverty

All

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 12:44

Jesus was talking to His disciples about a widow who was making her contribution to the treasury:

"The others have given from their surplus wealth, but the widow, from her poverty, has given all that she had, her whole livelihood."

Reflection

Jesus notices the widow as she approaches to make her contribution to the treasury. He frequently points out people that others overlook. 

She becomes an example of a person who is willing to sacrifice all that she has for God. Her giving is not hindered by her lack of means.

She puts her trust in God and becomes an example for all of us. Are we willing to give all as she did?

Many of us hold back because we want to make sure that we have enough to cover our needs. This widow challenges us to examine the ways we give and to ask if we can do more.

Her generosity is amazing. We have all been touched by either personal experiences or stories we have heard about people who reach out to give when they encounter someone in need. That type of kindness stays with us forever.

This widow was poor in the material sense; but certainly, she was rich in her love for God and others. She did not hold back.

She gave her all. 

Jesus noticed and pointed out her example.

Will we follow it?

1. How much are you willing to sacrifice for God?

2. What hinders you in giving your all to God?

3. Are there some areas of your life where you can give more to God and to others?

4. Who are some of the people who have touched you with their generosity?

5. What do you experience as you contemplate Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Plan

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Plan

  God's   Salvation

Commit   Commandments   Love

Whole Heart Mind Soul

Shema

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 12:29 to 31

Jesus said, "The first great commandment is: 'Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone. You shall love God with your whole heart, soul, mind, and strength.'

The second is like it: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' These are the greatest commandments."

Reflection

How important is it for you to have a plan for your life? Most of us like to set goals for our year, our month, and our week. After we set those goals, we try to come up with a plan to accomplish them.

Many businesses work that way. If you are running a car dealership, you want to sell a certain number of units during the month. Each of the salespersons is tasked with a goal for the month.

What is God's plan for us? Jesus shares it with us as He responds to a question about which of the commandments are the greatest. Jesus knows the Jewish tradition very well and quotes the famous Shema from the sixth chapter of the Book of Deuteronomy. Jesus would have started His day and ended His day with this prayer.

The plan that Jesus gives us is a simple one but a very powerful one. We are called to love God with all our strength. This is the way to our salvation. 

When we commit to this plan, the Love of God can fill us. With the power of that Love within us, we can then love our neighbor as Jesus urges us.

For this plan to work, we have to commit our "whole" self as Jesus says. We can't give a half-hearted effort. We have to be dedicated to the plan.

Jesus leads us to the Shema and to God's Love.

There is no better plan! 

1. What is your plan for life?

2. What are some of the goals you have set to accomplish your plan?

3. What is God's plan for us?

4. How can you make God's plan work in your life?

5. What strikes you as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Vision

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Vision

Spiritual   Blindness

Calling   Begging   Receiving

I Want To See

Faith

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 10:50 to 52

Bartimaeus put aside his cloak, jumped up, and came right to Jesus. 

Jesus said to him, "What do you want me to do for you?"

The blind man replied and said, "Master, I want to see."

Jesus told him, "Go on your way, your faith has saved you."

Right away he got his sight back and followed Jesus.

Reflection

Have you ever thought how important your vision is? Most of us just take it for granted until there is a problem, and we have to get help.

However, in addition to our physical vision we also need a spiritual vision to guide us as we form our values. As easily as we can fall and trip with faulty vision, if our values are confused, we can be led astray. Just think of all the people who follow leaders and wind up in a cult because they are not clear on what they stand for.

That spiritual blindness can lead us to search for things that we think will make us happy but ultimately fail to satisfy. I can remember a conversation that I had with a man in his early thirties who was wondering why he wasn't happy even though he had a new car, a wonderful home, and a beautiful boat. He had accomplished much and thought that he was following the American Dream.

We all need to stop and reflect on what is truly important in our lives. For Bartimaeus it was the realization that he should follow Jesus. He followed the call that Jesus had placed in his heart.

He was not afraid to beg for help from Jesus. When he cried out, Jesus received his plea and responded to it. 

He wanted to see.

His faith in Jesus led him to see.

His cry for help is our cry today. We need the wisdom and vision of Jesus to guide us as well.

Will we ask for it as Bartimaeus did?

1. Do you take your vision for granted?

2. How important is spiritual vision for you?

3. What are your most important values?

4. How does your belief in Jesus guide you?

5. What do you see as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

Suffering Servant

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Suffering Servant

Mission   Deliverance

Justice   Salvation   Mercy

He Came To Serve

Ransom

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 10:43 to 45

Whoever wishes to be first among you must be your servant.

The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

Reflection

The prophet Isaiah tells us about a suffering servant who will take on the guilt of many. This suffering servant will bring redemption to the people. It is amazing when we read this part of Isaiah (Chapters 49 to 55) how it leads us to what Jesus has done even though it was written hundreds of years earlier.

The mission of the servant is to deliver the people from darkness and evil. We can all get caught up in doing the wrong things. It is easy for us to put our own needs first. We can forget about those who are struggling.

I was talking recently with a man who was sharing about a rare illness that his daughters were facing. He said during our conversation that he was aware that many others were facing much more difficult and challenging conditions.

I was impressed with his ability to put his own difficulties aside and to concentrate on the needs of others.

The servant comes to bring justice. We are all aware of the inequities in our world. We are so upset to see the many wars that are being fought, and we realize that a lack of true justice is often the cause. 

The suffering servant reminds us that each of us has an important role to play in working for justice. Many times, it might seem that our efforts are not bearing fruit. The pace of needed change seems far too slow for us. We can get frustrated.

Part of the suffering of the servant can be the lack of response from others. If we are working for justice, however, we stay committed to doing our best in reaching out and advocating for what is right.

The suffering servant comes to bring salvation. It is the good news that we are loved, and God will be with us and assist us as we try to reach out for others.

 

 God is merciful and knows that there will be times when we think more of ourselves than of others. A good example of this is found in the earlier verses from the Gospel of Mark quoted above.

James and John come to Jesus and ask for special places in the kingdom. Showing great patience and kindness, Jesus points out that this is not the path of the servant.

We are called to think less about ourselves and our own power and position. We are called to serve as Jesus did.

Through His loving service, which involved much suffering, Jesus ransomed us from our selfishness and lack of caring for others. Jesus showed us a different path, the path of the suffering servant. 

Jesus invites us to walk that path with Him each day of our lives and assures us that we will never walk it alone. He will always be with us and lead others to help us as well.

1. How do you try to avoid putting your own needs first?

2. What are some of the ways you work to bring more justice into our world?

3. How do you overcome the frustrations that we all face in trying to bring more justice to those in need?

4. What do you feel as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

  

Two-Edged Sword

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Two-Edged Sword

Powerful   Sharp

Believe   Trust   Hope

Living Word of God

Penetrate

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Hebrews 4:12

The Word of God is living and powerful.

 It is even sharper than a two-edged sword.

It penetrates between the soul and the spirit.

It penetrates between the joints and marrow.

It is able to comprehend reflections and thoughts of the heart.

Reflection

Have you ever had the experience of reading a passage from the Bible, and you are amazed at how it hits home?

The author of Hebrews compares the Word of God to a two-edged sword that penetrates deeply. It strikes a chord within us.

This can lead to some very powerful experiences for us. It can draw us closer to God and give us guidance to make the right decisions in our lives.

The passage that strikes us can be so sharp that it leads us to take another look at something that we had previously decided. All of a sudden that new insight opens our eyes to a different way of looking at that decision.

The classic example is Saint Francis. When he read the passage from Matthew 6:21 ("For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be."), he decided to dedicate his life completely to God. He looked at his life in a different way.

The Word of God can lead us to believe in a deeper way. All of a sudden as we are reflecting on a certain passage, our beliefs come alive, and we understand our faith in a new way.

I remember reading about the Transfiguration of Jesus and realizing the glory and the power of Jesus. I understood the connection between the teachings of Jesus and Moses and Elijah.

When the Word of God comes alive in that way, your trust in God grows. You see how consistent God has been in reaching out to us and in establishing the covenant with us. We can hope in the fulfillment of God's promises and begin to realize how deeply we are loved.

The Word of God is then living because it has become part of our life. It is not words in a book. It penetrates our heart, and we realize those words make sense and help us to reach out to others.

That two-edged sword can penetrate deeply and transform us with the power and consolation of God's Word.

 Allow it to touch you and enlighten you.

1. What do you experience when you read the Bible?

2. Has a Bible passage ever helped you make a decision?

3. Does the Bible give you a better understanding of your faith?

4. What do you see as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)

 

Childlike

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Childlike

Innocent   Trust

Accept   Believe   Enter

Kingdom of God

Faith

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Mark 10:14 and 15

Jesus said, "Let the children come to me.

Do not stop them.

The Kingdom of God belongs to them.

Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the Kingdom of God like a child does will not enter it."

Reflection

What does it really mean to be childlike? A child is innocent. A child has trust in those who guide them---parents, teachers, coaches. They listen to those who want to protect them and show them the right way to do things.

Children are accepting when they know we are worthy of trust. I think of the times we have watched our grandchildren. They know us and know that we want only good things for them. They accept us as part of their lives.

Children will believe us when we tell them to be careful as they are crossing the street. They know that we want them to be safe. They believe us because we have helped them in the past and we are reliable.

Children can enter into the world of faith. They are seeking a deeper connection with the Creator. They are open to all God wants to share with them.

God invites them into the Kingdom. The children are open to enter into the Kingdom because they have experienced the Love of God through the love and care of those adults whom they have trusted and have shown themselves to be reliable and helpful.

They come to faith because of the positive experiences they have had in their lives. They have experienced real love, and they have learned that their faith has been rewarded. It has led them to good experiences.

That childlike faith can be lost when we have  had disappointments and betrayals. When our trust has been misplaced, we need to be able to discern the path to rebuild it so we can once again enter the Kingdom.

The stairs in Kathy's photo reminds me of our son, John. When he was younger, he would climb down the stairs to listen to the television and try to extend his bedtime. Eventually he realized that it was good to get the sleep he needed, and he wasn't really missing much. He trusted us.

When we place our trust in Jesus and become childlike in our acceptance of God's promise, we can enter into the Kingdom of God where we can experience the Love that God wants to share with us.

With that Love, we can climb the stairs to encounter our sisters and brothers and to share that Love with them. Jesus is inviting us to come to Him so that we can experience His Love for us. When we are childlike in our trust and acceptance, we can say yes to that invitation.

1. What does it mean to be childlike?

2. Why are children so open to the gift of faith?

3. How do you respond when your childlike trust has been betrayed?

4. How have you accepted the invitation from Jesus to put your trust in Him? 

5. What do you see as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

(Scripture adaptation, reflection, and questions by John J. McNamara)