Measure

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Measure

Goodness     Kindness

Loving     Giving     Forgiving

Lend Expecting Nothing Back

Rewarded

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 6: 27-28, 30a, 32, 35a, 36, 37b, 38b

Jesus said to His disciples,

"To you who hear I say, love your enemies, do good to those who are opposed to you, give a blessing to those who curse you, and pray for those who are mean to you.

Give to all who ask from you.

If you love someone who loves you, why should you get a reward? Even sinners will do that!

Rather you should love your enemies and be kind to them.

When you lend, expect nothing back. 

Be merciful in the same way that your Heavenly Father is merciful.

Forgive and you will be forgiven.

For the measure with which you measure will in return be measured out to you."

Reflection

In this passage from Luke Jesus is challenging His disciples to love at a much deeper level. Jesus knows that there are certain people that we all find it difficult to love.

We generally say that if someone treats us with respect than we will also treat them with respect. The problem comes when we encounter people who are mean to us, who make it obvious that they do not like us, and who seem to delight in giving us a hard time.

Jesus has a solution for us when we run into these people. 

If they are opposed to us, do something good for them.

If they get really angry and start to curse at us, just say to them, "I bless you."

If they are mean and cruel to us, just start praying for them.

This is a different game plan than the one to which we are accustomed. The usual response is to get angry at these people and to curse back at them.

Why is Jesus encouraging a different path? Jesus points towards our Heavenly Father who shows mercy on all, who offers forgiveness to all, and who never turns away from anyone.

Jesus tells us what true love is all about. It is not just an attraction or a good feeling. Love looks into the heart of the other and encourages the other to follow a path of goodness and kindness.

Love knows that we all have our faults and our good days and our bad days. Love knows that the person that I forgive today could very well be the same person whom I will need to ask for forgiveness tomorrow.

I always think here of the example of Jesus. On the cross while He was experiencing excruciating pain, Jesus said, "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they are doing."

If Jesus can forgive all of us, how is it possible for us to refuse to forgive someone who has hurt us?

As we measure our love out to others, Jesus is calling us to measure generously, to give generously, to hold nothing back.

1. How do you usually deal with people you find it hard to love?

2. Do you feel that the path Jesus outlines for dealing with our enemies is a practical one for you?

3. Does the example of Jesus help you to be a more forgiving person?

4. When you have measured generously and given generously to others, how has that affected you? 

Trust

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Trust

Humans     Savior

Stretching     Reaching     Believing

Hope Is The Lord

Planted

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Jeremiah 17: 5 to 8

The Lord says: The person who trusts in human beings is cursed.

This one seeks strength in flesh causing the heart to abandon the Holy One.

Such a person is like a barren bush in the desert that does not change with the seasons but remains in a lava waste, an empty earth with salt.

The person who trusts in the Holy One and whose hope is the Lord will be blessed.

Such a one is like a tree that is planted by the waters. 

It stretches its roots to the stream.

The heat will not bother it.

Its leaves will remain green.

When there is a drought, it will have no distress.

It will bear fruit.

Reflection

Our reading from Jeremiah talks about the importance of trust. When we place our trust in human beings, we can be very disappointed.

Such a challenge for us because we can wonder: who else can I trust? In many situations I have to trust other people.

If I am working at my job, I have to trust my boss and fellow workers. If I get on a plane, I have to trust the mechanics and pilots. 

Jeremiah is referring to a person who trusts so much in other people that there is no room left for trust in God. It is the Adam and Eve situation: I don't trust in God because there is something that I want that is more important to me than following what God would want.

I place my desires first and trust in people who are trying to manipulate me, confuse me, and mislead me. A common example is the supposed "friend" who is trying to convince me of the benefits of experimenting with an illegal drug.

When I wind up like a "barren bush in the desert" as Jeremiah indicates, that "friend" is nowhere to be found. Then I ask, "Why did I ever trust in that person?"

In contrast, Jeremiah shows us what happens when we trust in the Lord. He uses the beautiful image of a tree that it planted near a stream. 

That tree is not bothered by the heat. While the other trees are dying, this tree gets stronger and still bears fruit.

We know that God will not abandon us. The Holy One will lead us along true paths. We will find hope.

We have all encountered people in our age who are disappointed and confused. They have been deceived by a person that they trusted. They placed that person on a pedestal and then found out that this person was lying to them or harming or taking advantage of others.

Jeremiah points us in a different direction. He tells us to ground our trust in God and to measure our other relationships by that grounding.

If we do that, then we will have no distress if a drought comes!

1. Have you ever been disappointed by someone you trusted?

2. What happens when we trust in the Lord?

3. How have you found hope in your life?

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

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

Accordance

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Accordance

Resurrection     Scripture

Receiving     Hearing     Touching

Handed On To You

Response

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Isaiah 6: 7 and 8

One of the seraphim touched my mouth with an ember, and said,

"See, now that this ember has touched your lips, your evil is gone, your sin has been turned away."

Then the Holy One said,

"Whom shall I send on my mission? Who will be the one to share the message?"

"Here I am," I proclaimed.

"Send me."

1 Corinthians 15: 3 to 5

For I handed on to you as of most importance what I was also given:

that Christ gave his life for us in accordance with the Scriptures;

that He was buried;

that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures;

that He came to Cephas and then to the Twelve.

Luke 5: 4 to 6

Jesus said to Simon, "Go out into the deep water and you can lower your nets for a catch."

Simon replied, "Master, we have been fishing all night and have caught nothing. However, at your command I will lower the nets."

When he did this, they caught a huge number of fish and their nets could not contain them.

Reflection

Our scriptures present the responses of three people to God's call. In all of them we see an initial reluctance.

Isaiah thinks that he is unworthy, he is sinful. He cannot possibly be a messenger for God. There has to be somebody better!

I think we can all relate to that sentiment. How many times have we thought of others who could do a much better job in sharing the faith than we do?

God will have none of that. God calls us and God takes care of our objections. God sends an angel (one of the Seraphim no less!) to Isaiah and purifies his lips with an ember. This reminds us of how the Holy Spirit came upon the Apostles at Pentecost and transformed them from frightened followers to powerful proclaimers of the Good News.

Paul was more than reluctant---he did everything he could to stop the spread of the Gospel. He persecuted the new Christians.

When Jesus called Paul personally, he responded completely and took on missionary journeys to many different countries. He really knew the message was important and did not let any obstacles stop him---from being stoned with rocks to being shipwrecked!

Peter is reluctant for a different reason. He is tired. He has been fishing all night. He caught no fish. He just wants to go home and go to sleep. 

When Jesus tells him to do some more fishing, we can imagine how Peter felt. He very reluctantly does what Jesus asks.

The result is amazing! Peter can't take the fish into his own boat and has to call over his partners for help in taking the huge catch into their boat as well!

Our response can be very much like those of Isaiah, Paul, or Peter. We can also be reluctant to do things in accordance with the will of God. We can easily feel that we know better. We can come up with a million excuses.

God wants to hand on Good News to us.

How will we respond?

1. Do you feel unworthy to be God's messenger?

2. What are the obstacles that can get in the way of you proclaiming the Good News?

3. Do you find it hard sometimes to do what Jesus asks of you?

4. Have you ever been surprised by the results when you tried to follow God's will? 

5. What do you see when you contemplate Kathy's photo?  

Call

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Call

Faith     Hope     

Striving     Delivering     Enduring

Greatest Gift Is Love

Unfailing

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:  Jeremiah 1:4 to 5

The word of the Lord came to me, saying: Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I consecrated you, a prophet to the nations I called you.

First Letter of St. Paul to the Corinthians 13:8a, 9, 10, 12a, 13

Love never fails. 

We know partially.

We prophesy partially.

When the perfect comes, the partial will pass away.

Now we see with confusion, as in a mirror, but then we will see face to face.

Faith, hope, and love remain.

The greatest of these is love.

Reflection:

Our scriptures show us how God calls us. In our reading from Jeremiah we see that God is calling the prophet when Jeremiah is really young---in the womb!

Jeremiah will protest to God that he is too young to be a prophet. God is going to assure him that it is no problem---God will be with Jeremiah every step of the way. 

God never abandons us. When God calls us, God also sustains us with His Love.

In our reading from 1 Corinthians we get a glimpse of how deep and extensive that love is. It is a love that never fails.

We all know that as human beings it is very difficult for us to love all the time. We get tired, we become irritable, we get angry, we fail to communicate.

In those difficult times it is the Love of God that sustains us. When we are weak, we turn to our God for the strength we need to persevere.

We are reminded that we do not have all the answers---we know only "partially". However, that partial knowledge will pass away. We will see God face to face.

We are sustained by our faith in God. God calls us and God assists us.

We are sustained by our hope in God. When it seems like our call is not working out and we are not being fruitful, God shows us a different path to take.

We are sustained by our love for God. Our "partial" love grows as we encounter God "face to face" through our prayer.

We begin to realize that when God calls us, God will always be with us and gift us with that special Love that always embraces us and never fails us.

1. When did God call you?

2. Do you think a young person can be a prophet?

3. Why is it so hard for us to love all the time?

4. How do faith and hope help you in following God's call?

5. Why is Love the greatest gift from God?

 

 

Scroll

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Scroll

Isaiah     Spirit

Unrolled     Revealed     Undertaken

Scripture Passage Is Fulfilled

Mission

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 4: 15 to 21

Jesus came to Nazareth, where He was raised, and went as He usually did into the synagogue on the sabbath day.

He rose to read and He was given a scroll of the prophet Isaiah.

He unrolled it and proclaimed:

"The Spirit of God has anointed me to share glad tidings with the poor. 

The Spirit has called me to announce freedom to those who are captive,

the blind will regain their sight,

those who are oppressed will gain their liberty,

and I will declare a year acceptable to the Lord."

Jesus rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and took a seat.

The eyes of everyone who was there gazed intently upon Jesus.

He told them, 

"Today this passage from Isaiah is fulfilled in your hearing."

Reflection

In our passage from Luke, Jesus is going back home. This synagogue and the people who are there are very familiar to Jesus.

He attended many such services in observance of the sabbath when He was growing up. As part of those celebrations, members of the congregation would proclaim the scriptures.

The passage that Jesus finds from the scroll is a famous one from Isaiah 61 that speaks about the coming of the Messiah---the Anointed One of the Lord. 

The Messiah will first of all share good news with the poor. From this passage and others, the Church has developed its teaching about the preferential option for the poor. 

This is a central concern of the ministry of the Church. We must try in every way we can to help those in need. This is clearly what the Lord asks.

There is also a stress on the importance of bringing freedom to those who are held captive in any way. We know there are many types of captivity.

Sometimes we are held captive by our hate for others, by our lack of forgiving those who have harmed us, and by our indifference to others. Jesus comes to help us break those chains of captivity by showing us the path of love.

Those who are blind to the needs of their sisters and brothers will be helped to reach out to them with compassion. They can follow the example of Jesus who always took time to help those who were in need of healing and those who were avoided by others.

The goal that Jesus points out from Isaiah is to help people achieve freedom. Jesus shows that each person has dignity and value. No one is to be neglected.

Jesus talks about the Jubilee Year as an important aspect of the mission of the Messiah. This would take place every fifty years---taking place after every seventh Sabbath year. It was a time of rest and a time for forgiveness and giving freedom to those who were in slavery.

After sharing this passage from Isaiah, Jesus takes it one step further. He tells those in the congregation, His neighbors and friends, that this scripture is now fulfilled. 

They react in disbelief. They know Jesus so well. They are thinking, "How can He possibly be the Messiah?"

They are so upset with Jesus that they want to throw Him over the hill on which the town of  Nazareth was built. Jesus was able to pass through the midst of the people.

What a way for Jesus to begin His public ministry! 

Of course, as we know, this type of opposition does not stop Jesus. The Spirit of the Lord has anointed Him. 

His mission went forward because He came to bring freedom to all of us and to help us to see.

1. How important is it for you to reach out to the poor?

2. How can Jesus help us break the chains of captivity today?

3. Why are the people of Nazareth so upset with Jesus?

4. How does Jesus react to opposition? 

5. How does this passage bring out the importance of scripture in the ministry of Jesus? 

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

Espoused

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Espoused

Water     Wine

Requesting     Changing     Pouring

Beginning of His Signs

Manifestation

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Isaiah 62: 4 and 5

No more will anyone say that you are "Forsaken" or where you live "Desolate".

You shall be spoken of as "My Delight" and where you live "Espoused".

For the Lord delights in you and transforms your land into God's spouse.

John 2: 1 to 5; 7; 10-11a

There was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was present. Jesus and His disciples were also welcomed. When there was no more wine left, Mary went to Jesus and said, "They have run out of wine." 

Jesus said to her, "Woman, why should I get involved with this? It is not my hour."

Mary went to the servers and said, "Just follow whatever He says."

Jesus said, "Fill those jars with water."

When the headwaiter tasted the wine from the jars, he said, "Most people serve the good wine first. You have saved the best wine for now."

Jesus did the beginning of his signs here at Cana in Galilee.

Reflection

Isaiah is trying to console the people. They are discouraged because of the experience of the exile. 

They were driven from the land by the Babylonians. Many were taken to a different land.

Isaiah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, looks beyond this. He knows that God never forgets the people.

He talks about the marriage between God and the people. The Lord delights in the people and is wedded to the land.

It is a great image for how much God loves us. We all find it impossible to accept that our God can love us this deeply. It is beyond us to comprehend this Love.

The author of John picks up on this imagery in telling us the story of the wedding feat at Cana. The situation again seems very difficult---there is no wine left!

Can you imagine a wedding feast at this time without wine? If you were the groom, how embarrassed would you be?

Mary encourages a reluctant Jesus. She knows the heart of her son. 

This amazing miracle brings new life to the wedding. It shows us the power of Jesus---the power of Love.

Jesus delights in us in the same way that two lovers delight in one another. They want to spend time with each other. They want to share their deep love in that same way that Jesus wants to share His Love with us.

Enjoy your God who delights so deeply in you.

1. How deeply does God delight in you?

2. Do you see yourself as Espoused to God?

3. As you ponder Kathy's photo, what do you feel?

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

Reed

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Reed

Bruised     Unbroken

Grasps     Gathers     Glorifies

God Shows No Partiality

Justice

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   Isaiah 42:1 to 4

Thus says the Lord: Here is my servant whom I support, my chosen one in whom I delight.

I have sent my Spirit to him.

He shall establish justice in the nations.

He will not cry out and scream.

He will not make his voice heard in the street.

A bruised reed he shall not break,

A smoldering wick he shall not extinguish,

Until he brings justice to the earth.

The Acts of the Apostles 10:34 and 35

Peter started to speak to everyone who was in the home of Cornelius.

He said, "I see now that God shows no partiality. Rather, in every land whoever respects God and acts with justice is welcomed by God."

Reflection

Isaiah speaks of a special servant. This person is supported by God and chosen by God.

God loves this servant with a special love: God delights in him.

God loves him so deeply that God will send the Spirit upon him and the Spirit will give him strength and power.

That strength and power is necessary because the task that the servant has is a difficult one. This servant is going to try to bring justice to all the nations.

We all know what a challenging task that is. We look around us and we can see the discord and the inequities. We know about discrimination and prejudice. We read about the wars and conflicts. We hear about the refugees fleeing the horrors in their countries.

It is fascinating how this servant will accomplish this. He will not draw attention to himself but will do this difficult task with gentleness and  calm.

This servant reminds us of those who have worked for justice tirelessly and without resorting to violence. Those who follow this path choose a different way.

They bring justice with respect and kindness. They know it is a long struggle but they feel God shows no partiality---the justice of God embraces each person.

So they embrace each person and they act justly. Even those reeds that are bruised will not be broken.

They are welcomed by God.

1. How can we begin to bring justice to all the nations?

2. Is it possible to bring justice when we choose the path of the servant from Isaiah---the path of nonviolence?

3. Do you feel that the Spirit can strengthen you to work for justice?

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