Agape

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Agape

Unconditional   Love

Forgive   Be Merciful   Give

Ask Nothing In Return

Practice

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 6:35 and 36

Love your enemies.

Do good to them.

Lend and ask nothing in return.

You will receive a wonderful reward.

You will be children of the Holy One for God is kind to those who are ungrateful and mean.

Be merciful for your Father in Heaven is merciful.

Reflection

Can we really and truly love our enemies like Jesus is asking us to do in this passage from Luke? Isn't Jesus asking the impossible?

Enemies are those who hate us, demean us, and cheat us. They are out to get us. They can't stand us and constantly fight against us. They are always thorns in our side. They are dedicated to making our lives miserable.

The Greek word agape speaks to this. It is a deep love that is founded in God's Love for us. We realize gradually in our lives that God loves us unconditionally. 

It is very hard to realize this and to take it in. We can say it very glibly and not realize how amazing it truly is. Most of us will love someone who treats us well and who respects us.

God's Love is not based in that. It is a Love freely and completely given because God views us as GIFTS. God loves us because we ARE and not because of what we have done, are doing, or will do.

When we begin to realize this and start to glimpse even a little bit of this LOVE, it is possible for us to forgive someone who has hurt us very deeply. We can be merciful for we begin to realize how merciful God is towards us.

We can give more to others because we know how much we have been given. God loves us into existence and surrounds us always with that Love. 

We do good to our enemies because we start to see them how God sees them. We know that God loves them unconditionally also and does not wait for them (or us!) to be perfect in order to love them. 

We give to them when they are in need because we remember how much God has given to us. We give and do not expect a return because we know that we can never possibly even begin to return all the Love that God has given to us.

Our perspective has changed. We have been touched by God's Love. We are different. We are transformed. 

We don't hold grudges. We are not out for revenge. We pray for those who are because we realize that they don't know how deeply God loves them.

We try to practice the forgiveness and mercy of our God.

We have been loved. AGAPE dwells in us.

1. Is it possible to really love your enemies?

2. When did you truly realize that God loves you unconditionally?

3. Why does God love you?

4. What has helped you to really forgive someone who has hurt you deeply?

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

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

Tree

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Tree

Raised   Dwelling

Relying   Hope   Trust

Stood On Level Ground

Resurrected

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 6:17

Jesus came down with them and stood on level ground. A big crowd followed Him, and they gathered from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre, and Sidon.

Reflection

I always remember the thrill of climbing a tree when I was younger. It gave me such a sense that I was so much taller than everyone else and I really loved the difference in perspective.

I was literally raised up. I felt that I was dwelling in a different space. 

I loved looking down on my friends. I felt powerful and superior.

I was relying on myself and on my ability to go higher than everyone else. My hope was that all my friends would think that I was special. I quickly found out that they were up for the challenge and climbed even higher than me!

As I matured, I realized that those trees that I climbed were signs of God's majesty and power. When I look at trees today, my admiration and trust in God grows. If God could gift us with so many varieties of beautiful trees, I know God will take care of me as well.

Our passage from Luke reaffirms this. Jesus is going to share His teaching on the Beatitudes or Blessings with a huge crowd. He does not climb a tree or a mountain (as in Matthew) to claim superiority as I tried to do.

Jesus becomes one with the crowd. He stands on level ground. He wants to show the people that He loves them and understands them. 

For Jesus it is never about position or power. He has come to serve and to teach by His example. 

He gave His life for us and then showed us His resurrected self. He sanctified all trees by dying on the tree of the cross. He overcame death and let us know that resurrected life awaits us also. 

The trees that we admire and climb lead us to a deeper appreciation of our God who shows us how deeply we are loved. 

Enjoy the trees that God is sending to you!

1. Did you ever climb trees when you were younger?

2. What do you feel when you encounter a beautiful tree?

3. Why do you think Luke has Jesus standing on level ground as He shares the Beatitudes or Blessings with the crowd?

4. Where have you encountered the resurrected Jesus in your life?

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

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

Paul

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Paul

Corinthian   Letter

Accordance    Resurrection   Scripture

Preach So You Believe

Word

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   1 Corinthians 15:10 and 11

However, by God's grace I am what I am. 

This grace has not been ineffective.

I have worked harder than all the other apostles.

It is not I.

It is the power of God's grace within me.

Whether it is I who preached or the other apostles, we preached and so you believed.

Reflection

Did you ever wonder what St. Paul was really like?

We think of him as an extraordinary apostle who endured tremendous difficulties and obstacles in spreading the faith. He never gave up.

This passage from First Corinthians gives us a little glimpse into the man. He is honest in admitting his limitations. He knows that he is not perfect. He initially persecuted Christians.

God's grace led him to embrace Jesus and to devote his life to following Him completely. He held nothing back.

He did not claim any credit for this. He had experienced the power of the resurrection. On his way to Damascus, he encountered Jesus. 

He had lived his life in accordance with the scriptures. Gradually he saw Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies that were contained in the Hebrew Scriptures. He realized that Jesus had to suffer to redeem His people. 

He saw that the suffering and death of Jesus was not the end of the story. Jesus had risen and He was seen by many witnesses. 

This personal experience of the resurrection that Paul and the other apostles beheld with their own eyes led them to preach and to share with others the message of Jesus, the Good News. It was this preaching and the grace that was poured out from it that led so many to believe.

They believed because of the power of the Word. These were not just human words (although the message was expressed in those words). It was the power of God's grace working in the hearts and the minds of the believers.

They saw in the life of Paul his witness to the Word. He lived in harmony with that Word and dedicated his whole life to letting others know how much and how deeply God cares for them.

We have heard that Word. It has been shared with us by all those who are successors of St. Paul and who have also been touched with God's grace.

Now is our time to live the Word as Paul did. 

1. What is your image of St. Paul?

2. How do you overcome the temptation to give up?

3. Do your limitations inhibit you from proclaiming the Word of God?

4. When have you experienced the power of the resurrection in your life?

5. What do you see as you contemplate Kathy's photo of the painting of St. Paul?

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

Simeon

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Simeon

Faithful   Prophet

Recognized   Identified   Acknowledged

Eyes Have Seen Salvation

Sight

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 2:29 and 30

"Now, O Holy One, you may dismiss your servant in peace, as your word has proclaimed, for I have seen Your salvation with my eyes."

Reflection

Have you ever thought about actually seeing salvation? Salvation is an amazing gift, and it is overwhelming to think that somehow, we might be able to come face to face with it.

Simeon is older and he has been awaiting the coming of redemption for the people of Israel. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would see the Messiah before he died.

He was faithful to the traditions and teachings of his Jewish faith. He was very familiar with the writings of the prophets. He lived in a time of great anticipation. People were looking for someone who could lead the people to a deeper relationship with the Holy One and true freedom from oppression.

Simeon recognized something extraordinary in this young child whom Mary and Joseph brought to the Temple in Jerusalem to be presented to the Holy One. He knew that this child was the Messiah.

He identified special characteristics in this young boy. He was guided by the Holy Spirit. He was excited to share this news with Mary and Joseph. They must have been so happy that Simeon acknowledged the mission of their young son.

It was an unexpected encounter. Mary and Joseph were just going to the Temple to fulfill the requirements of the Law. What a surprise to encounter Simeon and then to hear him speak so highly of their son.

It was a special moment for Simeon also. He proclaimed that his eyes had now seen salvation. He knew that this child would bring the Good News of God's Love and care for all of us. He knew that all of us would never be the same because of what this child would do. Redemption and forgiveness had now arrived among us. 

His eyes were opened to what God wanted to do for the People of God. What a feeling of pure joy for Simeon and for all of us as we reflect on what God wants to share with each one of us.

God is not holding back. The Son of God has taken on human flesh. He is one with us. Pure Love surrounds us. 

We just need the sight, the eyes of faith, to recognize it as Simeon did!

1. Have you ever seen salvation?

2. How did the Holy Spirit work in Simeon's life?

3. If you were Mary or Joseph, how would you have reacted to Simeon's message about your son?

4. What are some obstacles that have stopped you from seeing Jesus in your life?

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

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