Wilderness

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Wilderness

Our Temptations

Testing   Resisting   Overcoming

Led by the Spirit

Victory

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 4:1

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

Reflection

When I think of wilderness, I imagine excitement and adventure. I get ready to explore an area that is unknown to me. A place that I have never experienced. What will I encounter?

As Jesus goes into the wilderness, He is preparing Himself for the unknown. What will His public ministry involve? Whom will He encounter as He travels around the various towns? Will people be open to hearing His message?

His first encounter is with the devil. There are temptations that He will have to deal with that are very much like our temptations: physical pleasure, belief in the providence of God, and seeking power and dominance.

Jesus deals with these temptations by turning to the Word of God. He knows that God has given us guidance in the scriptures to help us meet the challenges that we face. We are never left alone.

The testing that we go through in our individual wilderness helps form the person we are becoming. We are called upon to make choices: will I choose my own pleasure and comfort, or will I share my resources with those who are in need?

I have to resist the temptation to test God as Jesus resisted it. I can easily demand that God do what I want. In my egotistical way, I can feel that I know better than God. I question God and point out my own wisdom which I feel is superior to God's way.

As I resist temptation, I can begin to overcome my pride and realize that God will lead me. My trust in God begins to grow. I know that God leads me to peace.

As I face the many temptations of pleasure, pride, and power, I start to understand that the Holy Spirit is leading me. I begin to feel the power of the Spirit as I realize that giving into those temptations will not lead me to wisdom and truth but to a wilderness of emptiness and isolation.

The pleasures will fade, the pride will crumble, and the power will collapse. I see that these are all temporary and I search for something that is lasting. I find that in my relationship with the One who has won the Victory.

Jesus has overcome these temptations. He has shown me the path to follow: ponder the Word of God, follow the lead of the Holy Spirit, and grow each day in the Gift of God's Love.

Rejoice in the Victory!

1. What is your image of the wilderness?

2. How do you overcome the temptations you face?

3. Does the Word of God assist you as you encounter challenges in your life?

4. Has the Holy Spirit ever led you into the wilderness?

5. What message do you get as you ponder Kathy's photo of the wilderness?

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

All Seeing

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

All Seeing

Eyes of God

Trust   Choose   Fulfill

Eyes Have Not Seen

Open

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Isaiah 64:3

No ear has ever heard, no eye has ever seen, any God but you. You work amazing deeds for all those who wait for you!

Reflection

When we hear the saying that God sees everything we do, it can cause some concern. We might think of something awful we have done, something we are ashamed of, something we didn't want anyone to know about. We certainly don't want God to see it!

When we get over that initial concern, we can begin to look at the All Seeing God in a different way. We can begin to see God gazing at us with Love and Caring. We are created in the image and likeness of God. We are good.

God is merciful and forgives those embarrassing things we might have done in which we have harmed others. When we are truly sorry, God extends Peace and Pardon to us. The Eyes of God are Eyes of Love.

We can gradually begin to trust in God---to trust that God wants only good for us. God did not create us to harm or hurt us in any way. Our growing trust in God is similar to the trust we put in a good friend. We will tell that friend about our challenges and struggles because we know that friend will offer us help and guidance.

We begin to realize that God chooses us. God wants us to follow a path that will help us to thrive and to bring joy to others. God's Eyes of Love invigorate us and encourage us. We feel God with us.

God has fulfilled the promises that have been communicated to us in the scriptures. God has entered into a covenant with us. God has promised to always be with us.

Human eyes have not seen a Love like this. Our vision is limited to what we have experienced. The All Seeing Eyes of God have no limitations. We look at works of art, watch movies, go to see plays and can have very different opinions about what we have just seen. 

We often remark, "How did I miss that?", when someone who has been to the same movie we have seen speaks about a scene in the film that we did not notice. We can be distracted. We don't see everything. Our eyes can be on someone or something else.

God's Eyes are eternally on us. I think it is a great spiritual practice to take some time each day to sit with God and to feel those Eyes on us. They communicate the warmth and care that God has for us. We are precious and special in God's Eyes.

Those Eyes help us to become more open to the needs of our sisters and brothers. When we begin to realize how deeply and profoundly we are loved, we are eager to share that GIFT with others.

Enjoy those All Seeing Eyes. They are full of Love!

1. How do you react when you think of God seeing you all the time?

2. Does God gaze on you with Love?

3. What helps you to put your trust in your friends?

4. Why has God chosen you?

5. What do you feel as you ponder Kathy's photo of the new archbishop of New York waiting to knock on the door of St. Patrick's Cathedral?

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

Shine

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Shine

Morally   Spiritually

Influenced   Transform   God's Truth  

You Are the Light

Illuminate

(Photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 5:14

Jesus was teaching His disciples and comparing them to salt and light. He said:

"You are the light of the world. Just as a city on a mountaintop cannot be hidden, so your light must shine."

Reflection

I recently entered a room and had difficulty for a few moments finding where the light switch was. There was a slight feeling of panic. It was dark, and I fumbled around for a while. When I   finally found it and the light came on, there was a sense of relief.

In our reading from Matthew, we are given quite the challenge. We are called to shine so that others may be guided to follow Jesus. What a responsibility!

It is so true. We need examples to follow. Think of how someone learns to be an electrician. Study is certainly important. Following an experienced electrician puts all that knowledge we have gained into context and gradually we become confident and competent.

People need moral examples. As we read about our contemporary and classical saints, we become inspired. I think of the actions of Oscar Romero in standing up for the rights of the poor and marginalized. He was not always accepted by those who were wealthy and in power; but he remained true to the words of Jesus to feed the hungry and clothe the naked. His light still shines even though he was brutally shot and killed while presiding at Mass.

People also need spiritual examples. Many of us find it difficult to pray as we battle distractions and the hectic pace of our daily lives. We think of saints like Thomas Aquinas who worked so hard on his teaching and writing but realized all of it was just like straw in a fire compared to the Love our God wants to share with us in prayer. His light still shines through the beautiful hymns of praise that were the fruit of his spiritual life. and that we still sing today.

We reflect on the people who have influenced us. Many people have inspired us and transformed our vision. We can all think of special conversations we have had with people who took time to reach out to us.

I can remember a teacher, Fr. Harold Buckley, who reached out to me when I was a sophomore in high school and invited me to be part of a play he was directing. I felt honored that he took the time to do that and really enjoyed the experience. It led to several more experiences in plays.

Those moments lead us to God's Truth: we are Loved. Because we are Loved we can share the Light with other people and illuminate the darkness in our world. We can reach out to others with compassion and caring because Jesus will be with us to help us deal with the obstacles and challenges we inevitably face.

With Jesus with us, it's time to let our light shine!

1. Who are some of the people who have been examples of the Light for you?

2. Has there been anyone who has influenced your moral development?

3. What are some ways that you have been helped to grow in your spiritual life?

4. When have you felt God's Love?

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

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