King

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

King

Sacred   Divine

Freed    Revealed    Testified

Jesus The Truthful Witness

Alpha Omega

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Revelation 1:5,6, and 8

Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, the first who was born from the dead and the one who rules over all the kings of the earth. 

We have been freed from our sins by His blood. 

"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God.

John 18:37

Jesus replied to Pilate, "You say that I am a king. For this I was born and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. All those who belong to the truth listen to my voice."

Reflection

Did you ever have a desire to be a king or a queen? It would be nice to sit on a big throne and to give commands to your subjects all day. Your servants could bring you whatever you wanted.

Sounds pretty good!

However, Jesus is going to take us in another direction. He will lead us to the sacred, the divine. Jesus is a King who comes to free us from our slavery to selfishness and indifference to the needs of others.

Jesus has not come to sit on a throne and to have others wait on Him. Jesus has come to give Himself entirely to us and to sacrifice His life for us. He reveals what true kingship is all about.

Jesus testifies before Pilate and tells him what a king should do---to lead others to the truth. So many kings and rulers do not want to hear the truth. They do not want to know about the real needs of their people and help them.

Jesus has come with a mission. As King Jesus brings us Good News: we are loved, we are cared for, we are saved.

Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega---the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Our life, all of life, starts with Jesus and leads us to Jesus. He has come to bring us truth.

Jesus wants us to reach out to all, especially those most in need. In Jesus' Kingdom all are taken care of and no one is left behind.

Is there any better King to follow?

1. Have you ever desired to be a queen or a king?

2. What type of King is Jesus?

3. How can you follow Jesus in your life?

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

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

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)