Plant

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Plant

3 Measures

Kindness   Fidelity   Forgiveness

Good Ground For Hope

Grow

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Wisdom 12:19

You taught Your people through Your actions that those who strive for justice must be kind. You gave Your children good ground for hope and told them that You would allow repentance for their sins.

Reflection

I'm always looking for good recipes. It's so much fun when you find one that really works well, is fairly easy, and is a hit with everyone. It's a keeper!

In a similar way when you are planting some flowers and they look beautiful, you write it down and keep the name for future reference. You don't want to forget it!

When we do our planting, there are three measures  we can look to for success. Are the words and actions that I plant around me every day done with kindness? If I am just thinking of myself and what I can gain, inevitably my planting will turn people off and discourage them. People I encounter will want to quickly dispose of those plants. No one needs more aggravation and negativity!

The second measure that is helpful to plant is fidelity. When I am committed in my relationships and dependable, people I encounter can place their trust and confidence in me. They can count on my being there for them. Especially when they call at stressful times, they know that I will be at their side as soon as I can.

The third measure to plant in this recipe for following the example of Jesus is forgiveness. In many ways this can be the most difficult ingredient to add. There are always people who have hurt us deeply that we find difficult to forgive. 

Our forgiveness can transform the hard ground of bitterness into the receptive soil of new life. We can leave behind the misunderstanding and hard feelings of insult and disappointment. We begin anew.

As we plant with our three measures of kindness, fidelity, and forgiveness, we are walking with Jesus. We are transforming difficult situations and past hurts into the good ground that is so essential for new life to take root. We have planted hope for new possibilities. 

Many times people can feel discouraged by the obstacles they are facing. Things might not be going well at work. A good friend has received a difficult diagnosis. Someone in your family has been in an accident and is seriously injured.

If we can plant some seeds of hope in the lives of those we meet each day, we can accompany them patiently as they try to grow through those challenging times. In walking with them the miracle is that we grow also.

As the flowers that we planted and the recipes that we mastered have enriched our lives, so to do the measures of kindness, fidelity, and forgiveness that we share with others help us to grow to become better followers of Jesus.

Growth is a process that can seem far too slow and overly frustrating. We plant our seeds and want to see those flowers immediately. We wonder why that new dish that we are making is taking so long in the oven.

Sometimes also we do not see the results of all of our hard work. We are planting the seeds for future generations to enjoy. We trust that there will be growth some day.

It is always planting time. Those three measures are calling us. The growth will come. The ground of hope awaits!

1. How do you feel when you discover a new recipe or a new plant?

2. Have the three measures for successful planting (kindness, fidelity, and forgiveness) helped you bring hope to others?

3. In what ways have you grown as you have tried to bring hope to others?

4. What have you learned from the sometimes  slow process of growth? 

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

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

Creation

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Creation Awaits

Groaning    Labor Pains

Set Free   Adoption

God's Watercourses Are Filled

Revelation

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Psalm 65: 10

God's watercourses are filled.

Reflection

Sitting by the river after the rain has stopped.

Admiring the flow of the water.

Becoming one with the steady flow.

Feeling its power.

Enjoying its beauty.

This is a scene many of us have experienced. We take time to pause from our daily activities and to rejoice in the beauty and power of creation. All of creation awaits our contemplation and admiration of the handiwork of God.

We start to realize all that has been given to us. We have no words immediately to describe the overflowing waters.

We know that creation is a gift that we are called to treasure and preserve. It is fragile and can be negatively affected by our actions. We have seen what happens when we pollute our soil, water, and air. We know that what we do on a daily basis can harm all of creation and impact the health and welfare of our sisters and brothers in the family of God. 

St. Paul speaks of creation as "groaning". We have all heard those groans and seen the results of our carelessness too clearly. The images of huge mounds of plastic being washed up on the shores of remote islands. We recoil when we see clouds of smoke covering our cities.

Labor pains can lead to the gift of new life. As we take responsibility for our actions that have led to ecological disasters, the pain and suffering of creation can make us aware of what we need to do to improve the quality of life for all aspects of creation.

We want to set creation free from the waste and pollution that we have generated. We need what Pope Francis in his encyclical Laudato Si calls an "ecological conversion". We are the adopted daughters and sons of God. We have been given the freedom to enjoy the gift of creation. 

 Along with the gift has come the responsibility to enjoy that gift and to reverence it. We know that God's watercourses are full of so much bounty and joys for all of us. As we cherish and nurture the waters, the woods, the soil, and the air, we do our part to fill the watercourses with beauty.

God has revealed to all of us the path to free creation from the oppression of exploitation for short term profit at the risk of long term damage. It is the path of caring and respect. 

The creation God has blessed us with is awesome beyond words. We marvel at those overflowing watercourses, colorful flowers, majestic mountains, glowing stars, and all that we see each day.

It is our time now to cherish the blessing in every way we can.

Enjoy and respect the GIFT!!!

1. When is the last time you admired the beauty of creation?

2. Do you see creation as God's gift to you?

3. What is the pollution that upsets you the most?

4. Have you undergone an "ecological conversion" as Pope Francis called for?

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

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

Yolk

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Yolk

Shared   Burden

Grace   Love   Holy Spirit

Learn from Me Little Ones

Spiritual Rest

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 11:29

Jesus was speaking to the crowds and said,

"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me.

I am meek and humble of heart.

You will find rest with me."

Reflection

Jesus gives us a fascinating image to contemplate.

Just picture a huge field that is ready for cultivation.

Your plow is set to turn the soil over before you plant the seed.

You bring your two oxen over to the plow and yoke them together.

The two work in rhythm to get the soil ready and receptive. They are sharing the burden. It does not fall on just one of them. The two together can accomplish so much more and do it without exhaustion and fatigue.

It is so much like us in our attempts to follow Jesus more faithfully. Jesus showers us with His grace to help us. He never leaves us alone.

So many times I have been teaching and a word or thought comes to me that was never part of the original lesson plan. You know that Jesus is nourishing you and the Holy Spirit is guiding you. You are loved and Jesus is yolking you to Himself.

We learn this from the example of Jesus. He would always go off by Himself and spend time with the Father. He was yolked to the Father and the Holy Spirit. They always worked in harmony and unity. 

We worry sometimes that we have to save the world from evil and injustice. It seems like there are so many problems: war, poverty, greed, hunger, homelessness, discrimination, and crime. We can feel overwhelmed. 

Jesus reassures us that we will not be handling all these challenges by ourselves. He tells us that any burden that we might feel will be light and easy to bear.

He invites us to rest in Him. With Jesus next to us and yolked securely to us, we can take on the most difficult task and get it done. It might have seemed impossible; but we know all too well that all things are possible with Him. 

Jesus shows us the way by being "meek and humble of heart" as our reading from Matthew indicates. His Heart is always open for us and to us. He wants to embrace us with the inclusiveness of His Love.

The yolk will always be ready to lift our burdens and our aloneness. 

Jesus is one with us!

1. How has Jesus helped you as you have tried to bring the Good News to others?

2. Do you feel yolked to Jesus?

3. When and where do you rest in Jesus?

4. How does the Heart of Jesus embrace you?

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

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

Reshaping

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Reshaping

God's Image

Union   Participation   Conversion

Baptized into Christ Jesus

Sanctification

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Romans 6:3

Are you not aware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?

Reflection

Have you ever thought about the people and events that have shaped your life?

It is amazing to reflect on all the people we have met, all the teachers we have encountered, the jobs we have held, and the good and bad times we have lived through. So much has shaped us into the persons we are today.

As we ponder that "shaping", we can sometimes contemplate the changes we would like to make. We do it in a physical sense when we undertake a program of exercise. We want to feel and look better.

We can also do reshaping in a spiritual sense. We can take a look at our relationship with God and see if there are actions we need to take to grow closer to God and to one another.

We know that we are shaped in the image of God. We have been created to reflect the glory of God. God has blessed us with a beautiful gift of creation. We are called to cherish it and enhance it by our stewardship.

We do that by our union with God and one another. We work together to make sure that our air, water, and soil are free from pollution and degradation. We work for peace and justice because we know that God wants us all to live together as sisters and brothers in one family.

We are called to do this through participation in the social and spiritual life of our community. We are not lone rangers. We join together to constantly reshape our world so that it conforms more completely with the vision of God for creation. God has given us a GIFT that we do not want to spoil or misuse.

Our reshaping of ourselves and our world involves a constant conversion on our part, a conversion that is open to listening to the voice of God in our community. We realize that God is present in each and every person and in the creation we have been given. We are called to open our eyes and our hearts so that we can truly see and feel God's presence all around us.

St. Paul reminds us in his Letter to the Romans that we have been baptized into the death of Christ. That baptism involves a constant reshaping on our part to make sure that we are following the example of Jesus through serving and caring for others.

We are challenged in this baptism to die to our selfishness, our greed, desire for comfort, and indifference to those who are in need. We are reshaped through the sanctification that Jesus offers us. He calls us to live a life in communion with God as He did. He calls us to a deeper life of prayer. He calls us to care more about the most vulnerable in our world.

Our reshaping continues each day. 

It is our challenge and our joy.

When we are reshaped into the life and love of Jesus, our hearts overflow with compassion and kindness. We become fully alive with Love.

Enjoy your reshaping!

1. Have you ever thought about the many people and events that have shaped your life?

2. How do you try to reshape your life?

3. What are some obstacles that you have faced as you try to become more converted to Christ?

4. Do you feel that sanctification is important in reshaping your life?

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

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

Be

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Be

Bold   Unafraid

Believe   Proclaim   Champion

Fear No One Speak

Truth

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 10: 26 and 27

Jesus was speaking to the Apostles and said:

Fear no one.

The message that I will share with you in the darkness speak in the light.

Reflection

What are some of the things you confront in life that make you afraid?

Some people fear thunderstorms. Others are concerned about criminals. Many become afraid when they are in the dark after a loss of power.

In our reading from Matthew, Jesus is telling us to be afraid of no one. We are challenged to be bold and to take on those difficulties we face with courage and conviction.

That boldness flows from our relationship with Jesus. We gradually realize that we are not alone in those difficult moments. We have a strength in our very being that comes from our knowledge that just as Jesus instructed and guided those original Twelve Apostles, He is with us today.

Our fears are normal. We all face them because we are aware of our limitations and failures. We know that we are not perfect.

We believe that Jesus knows our souls very well. He knows what we need. He knows our weaknesses. He sees our fears and that is why He speaks so much in the gospels about our need to overcome those fears that can cripple and confuse us.

When we are able to overcome those fears through our belief in Jesus, we can proclaim the Good News. Our message is simple: fear does not rule us or inhibit us. It is always there. It is real. However, it will not rule our being. We are called to be more and to do more. The fear will not paralyze us.

An athlete becomes a champion by facing fears and continuing to play on despite them. An Apostle becomes an evangelizer by proclaiming the Good News in the face of rejection and humiliation. Those difficult experiences make the athlete and Apostle stronger and much more appreciative and grateful when success does come.

We grow to the point where, as Jesus says, we fear no one. We see this in Jesus as He confronts religious leaders and political rulers with calm and wisdom. He knows that they do not accept His message and His claims. He knows that some want to put Him to death. 

He speaks the truth that the Father has shared with Him in prayer. His fear of rejection and death does not limit Him. He has confronted those fears in His innermost being. 

He knows that He is never alone in facing down those very real fears---fears that we all have to face. The Father is with Him always.

In a similar way Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to be with us. We are never alone in confronting and trying to overcome our fears.

We can BE confident in the power of God to guide us to embrace the truth and to proclaim the Good News.

We leave those fears behind.

We are loved.

We can speak that message in the LIGHT!

1. What are the fears that paralyze you the most?

2. How has your relationship with Jesus helped you to overcome those fears?

3. What can help you to become a champion evangelizer?

4. Do you feel that you have become stronger as you have faced your failures and disappointments?

5. What do you feel as you ponder Kathy's photo?

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

Commissioning

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Commissioning

Spiritual   Harvest

Battered   Exhausted   Abandoned

Jesus' Heart Was Moved

Compassion

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 9:36

As Jesus looked out at the crowd that was following Him, His heart was moved with compassion for them. He could see that they were troubled. They seemed to Him like they were sheep without a shepherd.

Reflection

How do you feel when you sense that Jesus is asking you to do something?

Sometimes as I am praying, a person just pops into my mind. I think that maybe Jesus is asking me to reach out to that person and see how they are doing. It might also be a person who is sick and Jesus is telling me to pray for them. 

The experience is like a commissioning from Jesus. He is planting a seed in our hearts to reach out to someone else. All of a sudden we are not just thinking about ourselves and our own needs. Our vision becomes wider and we want to help someone else.

Jesus has that experience in our reading from Matthew. As He looks out at the crowd, His focus goes from the truths He wants to teach the people about the Kingdom of God to the actual lives of the people: what are they feeling?

Jesus can sense their confusion, pain, and discouragement. He can feel their spiritual needs. They need to hear Good News.

He knows that there can be a great harvest: the people are ready for the message He has come to share. It is a message of healing for those who have been battered, refreshment for those who are exhausted, and community for those who feel abandoned.

Jesus knows their needs. He can see into their souls and their hearts. He is moved to reach out to them. 

In the following verses Jesus is going to select twelve apostles to assist Him in bringing the Good News and healing to the people. He knows that this is not a task for one person. 

We are commissioned by Jesus to be ministers of compassion to the People of God. Just as He commissioned the twelve, He commissions us today. Each one of us is important. Each one of us is gifted. Each one of us has the Holy Spirit within us to guide us.

Those moments when we are praying and we get the name of someone to whom we should reach out, those are Holy Spirit moments. Jesus is asking us to make a difference with our compassion. Just as the heart of Jesus was moved, so our hearts are moved to help those who are struggling today. 

How will you respond?

1. When you are praying, do you ever get the feeling that you should reach out to someone who might need your help?

2. What do you feel that Jesus is commissioning you to do?

3. Do you sense that there is a great harvest awaiting the Church today?

4. What is your gift that Jesus wants you to share with the People of God?

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

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

Sharing

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Sharing

Body   Blood

Eat   Live   Abide

I Am Living Bread

Union

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   John 6: 51

Jesus was speaking to the people that were following Him after He had fed the large crowd:

"I am the living bread that has come down from heaven."

Reflection

Everyone looks forward to a good meal.

The other day Kathy whipped up a delicious meat loaf and we delighted in it. It was so tasty!

Jesus, in our passage from John, is talking about an even better meal. He is saying to the people who were following Him after He had multiplied the small number of loaves and fish and fed so many that He will give them His very self. He will become living bread for them!

You can imagine their reaction to this statement. They didn't know what to make of it. Was He mad? They just could not accept this. Most of the crowd, with the exception of Peter and the apostles, turned away from Jesus at this point. They had wanted to make Him king after His miracle. Now they wanted nothing to do with Him. He made no sense.

For Jesus it was all about sharing. He wanted to give Himself to the people in a profound way. He wanted to share His Body and His Blood with them. 

It is like us when we meet someone we love deeply. We want to share ourselves with them completely. We trust them. We don't want to hold back.

Jesus knew that the people needed more than just bread. Yes that would satisfy them momentarily. Their hunger, however, went much deeper than that. 

They needed not just to eat some bread. They needed to know how to live with each other in community and to understand and care for each other. 

Jesus came to show them and us the way to live. We all have the tendency to be selfish and to think of our own needs first. We find it hard to put the needs of others before our own desires. 

Jesus showed us that the way to do that is first to abide with God in prayer. To truly know God and to understand God's ways. To admit that we do not have all the answers and turn to God for guidance and truth.

Jesus is the living bread because He wants us to truly live life completely by giving ourselves to others. Jesus never holds back. He always wants to feed us on wisdom, truth, kindness, understanding, and compassion.

Jesus knows what we need. We need union with God and with one another. We need to feel connected. We need to overcome the division and exploitation we find in our culture and live in a different way.

We find this hard to understand two thousand years after Jesus showed us the way. We too walk away from Jesus as the crowd did. We cannot comprehend that Jesus would want to share His Body and His Blood with us. 

How can anyone possibly love us that deeply?

It is beyond us.

It is the Jesus Way.

It is Love!

1. How can Jesus be the living bread for you?

2. Why does Jesus want to share His Body and His Blood with you?

3. When do you abide in God?

4. How do you experience union with God?

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

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