Untethered

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Untethered

Triumphant     Entry

Acclaiming     Praising     Aloud

Stones Will Cry Out

Jerusalem

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 19: 28-30; 35-40

Jesus continued traveling to Jerusalem.

As He came to Bethphage and Bethany near the Mount of Olives, He sent two of His disciples.

He told them, "Enter the village opposite you, and as you go in you will find a colt tethered on which no one has ever sat. Untie it and bring it here."  

They brought the colt to Jesus and put their cloaks over it and helped Jesus get on.

As Jesus rode into Jerusalem, the people were spreading their cloaks on the road.

As Jesus was approaching the slope of the Mount of Olives, the entire crowd of His disciples started to praise God aloud with joy for all the powerful deeds they had witnessed.

They were saying, "Blessed is the king who comes in the Lord's name. Peace in heaven and glory in the highest."

Some of the Pharisees who were there said to Jesus, "Teacher, tell your disciples to stop saying this."

Jesus said in reply, "I say to you, if they are silenced, the stones will cry out."

Reflection

In our reading from Luke, Jesus makes an unusual request. Jesus asks two of His disciples to go into the local town and untether a colt for His use.

The disciples must have wondered about this but they obeyed and helped Jesus get on the colt as He came into Jerusalem. The crowd acclaimed Jesus as a king.

This scripture challenges us to untether our faith as well. It calls us to walk more completely with Him.

The symbol of the tethered colt reminds us what following Jesus is all about. It can be easy and comfortable to step back from difficult issues. We can take the attitude of not wanting to offend others who might feel differently.

An example comes to mind when we think of environmental issues. Pope Francis has spoken out clearly about the importance for us as a society to confront the damage that has been done to our air, water, and soil.

Pope Francis calls all of us to an "ecological conversion" to tackle the complex issue of climate change. Many do not accept this and have spoken out against Pope Francis.

When we follow Jesus and "untether the colt", it can take us into difficult situations. Jesus knew that the Jerusalem He was entering was a place full of danger for Him.

Jesus, riding on that untethered colt, tells these Pharisees that He will not silence the disciples. If He tried to do this, the very stones would cry out---all of creation reflects the glory of Jesus.

Jesus is not afraid to confront those who might disagree with Him or who do not accept His message. He does this in a peaceful way as the disciples acknowledge in their acclamation.

Kathy's photo invites us to embrace that way and to soar higher. Our colts can also be untethered.

Enjoy the ride!

1. How can you untether your faith?

2. How do you deal with those challenging situations where you might offend others by taking a stance to follow Jesus more completely? 

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

Called

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Called

Least     Brothers

Feeding     Clothing     Visiting

You Did For Me

Inheritance

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Matthew 25:35-36

When I was hungry, you shared some food with Me.

When I needed something to drink, you shared that with Me.

When you did not even know Me, you welcomed Me.

When I had nothing to wear, you found clothes for Me.

When I was feeling ill, you came to visit Me.

When I was locked up in a jail, you showed up to comfort Me.

Reflection

This week, during a Morning of Prayer, we reflected on the meaning of a passage from Matthew 25. 

Jesus challenges us in this section from the Gospel of Matthew to "walk the walk". We can't just talk and write about the Gospel, we have to live it each day through our actions.

In our day we see so many examples of this. In many areas besieged by the horror of wars, we see people responding with food, clothes, and housing. 

We know that war is wrong. We know that violence is not the answer.

The reaction of so many people to the slapping incident at the Oscars is so instructive. People were offended by a performer coming on stage and assaulting a comedian. 

It tells us that we all know that this is not the way to resolve a conflict. When one country attacks another, we know there are much better ways to bring opposing sides together.

The victims of war are the innocent. We see millions of people displaced from their homes in so many areas of our world. We see families split apart. Hospitals and schools that should be healing and educating people are reduced to rubble.

We wonder when people will learn the lessons of Jesus: we are all children of God and we should treat each person as if that person were Jesus because Jesus dwells in each of us.

Jesus calls us to act in a radically different way: to reject violence and killing and to provide for the needs of each and every person.

We cannot look down on any person and dismiss them and turn away from them when there is a need. If we do that, we are turning away from Jesus.

Kathy's picture this week is from the entrance to the Good Shepherd Hospice in Port Jefferson. Those who are seriously ill are comforted and consoled. Their families are able to be present and to surround their loved one with kindness and caring.

The staff there sees each patient and family member as Jesus. They accompany them with sensitivity and gentleness.

They have been called.

So are we!

1. Do you find this passage from Matthew to be a challenging one?

2. Can you remember a time when you were hungry, thirsty, naked, ill, or imprisoned and someone reached out to you?

3. How have you responded to the horrors of war?

4. What goes through your heart as you ponder the picture of Good Shepherd Hospice?

5. How have you responded to the Call to see Jesus in those who come to you in need? 

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

Found

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Found

Illumination     Grace

Longing     Welcoming     Entrusting

Come To Life Again

Reconciliation

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scriptures:   2 Corinthians 5: 18 and 19

God has graced us with this: God has reconciled us through Christ and given us the gift of reconciliation.

God reconciled the world in Christ.

God did not count our trespasses against us.

God entrusted to us the ministry of reconciliation.

Luke 15: 31 and 32

His father said to him,

"My son you are always with me and everything I have is yours.

Now, however, is our time to rejoice and to celebrate.

Your brother was dead and has come to life again.

He was lost and now is found."

Reflection

Our readings today invite us to look at the ministry of reconciliation. They ask us to look at the way we forgive others.

Forgiveness is a struggle for us. Naturally when we are hurt or offended by someone, we can take it personally and begin to plot our revenge. 

How can I get back at that person?

Can I damage a reputation, spread a rumor, reveal a secret, send a nasty tweet, or threaten the loss of a job?

Those thoughts and eventually actions are commonplace in our society today. Many times we don't even take into consideration a person's intention or allow that person to explain a point of view that lead to a remark or action.

Our scriptures today point us in a completely different direction. St. Paul in 2 Corinthians tells us that God is not counting our sins and trespasses against us. Instead God wants to bring us close to one another. God desires reconciliation and not alienation.

God not only desires this. God has accomplished this huge task through Jesus. Jesus is a Healer. Jesus is a Reconciler.

St. Luke brings out this theme in the Parable of the Forgiving Father. The younger son has gone off and spent his inheritance foolishly and has nothing left.

In desperation he returns home to ask his father if he can become a hired hand. He is hungry. He has no money left.

The father welcomes him back with mercy and celebration. Naturally this upsets the older brother who has been so helpful to the father, so reliable, and so faithful.

The father thanks him and assures him that he will have his reward but points him in the direction of reconciliation. His younger brother experienced a death---his actions destroyed his spirit and left him empty and despairing.

He was lost.

We can think of the times in our own lives when we were confused and took the wrong path. The times when we were selfish and turned our back on those who were in need and were blind to their pain.

Jesus calls us to be healers as well and to reach out to those whom everyone else passes by. We can ask ourselves, "Whom does God want me to find today and share forgiveness and love?"

1. How important is the ministry of reconciliation for you?

2. Why do we want to get revenge on the people who hurt us?

3. When have you been found when you were lost?

4. Whom is God calling you to forgive today?

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

 

Creator

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Creator

Eternal     Presence

Source     Unchanging     Redeeming

I Am Who Am

All

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture: Exodus 3: 2b, 5, 9-10, 13-14

As Moses looked at the bush, he was shocked to see that it was not destroyed though it was on fire.

God told Moses to remove the sandals from his feet because the ground he was standing on was holy ground.

God said, "I have heard the cry of my people. I have seen that the Egyptians are oppressing them. I will send you, Moses, to lead the people out of Egypt."

Moses responded to God and said, "When the people ask me who is sending me and what is the name of this person, what should I say?"

God said, "I am who am. Tell them I Am sent me to you."

Reflection

This passage from the Book of Exodus describes an amazing encounter that Moses has with God. As he is tending his sheep and minding his own business, God gets his attention very suddenly.

I think all of us would wonder about a burning bush that does not seem to be effected at all by the fire. We would find that strange and investigate it further.

When Moses does that and comes closer to see what is actually happening, he encounters the voice of God. I can only imagine how shaken he must have been.

Was he really hearing the voice of God?

Was this a delusion?

Was he having a bad day?

Was he suffering from a lack of sleep?

There is something about this voice, however, that strikes a deep chord within Moses. He realizes that this is a special encounter.

He is even more surprised and very reluctant when God combines this experience of the burning bush that is not destroyed with a special mission for Moses.

It was certainly a mission that Moses wanted no part of because it would force him to go back to Egypt where he was wanted for murder. It was the last place where Moses wanted to go.

To try to avoid this difficult and dangerous mission, Moses asks God a question. He is probably thinking that God will never tell him the name of God. This will be a clever way to avoid going back to Egypt.

God does not hesitate. God reveals the sacred name.

I Am.

A name so sacred that our Jewish brothers and sisters will not utter it. Instead they will use the name Lord.

This sacred name reveals that God is the Eternal Present. God has no beginning. God has no end.

Our Creator God is always with us and invites us into relationship---an intimate companionship.

God reassures Moses that he will never be alone. God will always travel with him and guide him as he confronts the Pharaoh and leads the people out of Egypt.

I Am journeys with him always. The Source of life embraces him.

And us!

1. How can we be sure that we are encountering the voice of God?

2. What does the name of God mean to you?

3. How do you feel the presence of God in your life?

4. What does Kathy's photo say to you? 

Bridge

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Bridge

Moses     Elijah

Radiating     Divinizing     Transfiguring

Old Covenant To New

Exodus

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   Luke 9:28b-31, 34-35

Jesus took Peter, John, and James and went up the mountain to spend time in prayer.

As He was reflecting in prayer His face was transformed and His clothing became a bright white.

Then there were two who were talking with Jesus, Moses and Elijah.

They were there in glory and spoke of the exodus that Jesus was going to fulfill in Jerusalem.

A cloud came over all of them and a voice was heard to say, "Here is my beloved son. Listen to His message." 

Reflection

Luke tells an amazing story about an awesome event. It starts out with Jesus desiring to spend some time in prayer.

An ideal place for Jesus to take some time for prayer is to go to a mountain where He can spend some time in peace and quiet. Jesus took three of the apostles with Him, Peter, John, and James. In a parallel with the Agony in the Garden, they fall asleep as Jesus prays and almost miss this spectacular event.

Jesus is transformed and has a conversation with Moses and Elijah about His mission. They talk about what is going to take place in Jerusalem.

Luke uses the term exodus to describe this. In the original exodus God leads the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt they had into freedom by guiding Moses and giving him the Law.

Elijah reminded the people about that Law and the promises that they had made to be faithful. After his death and miraculous departure by  chariot, the people were waiting for the Anointed One to come, the Messiah.

Jesus Transfigured is that new bridge leading to the exodus of freedom from sin and death. He shows forth His glory and His care for all people. His Love and self giving radiates for the apostles and for us to show the warmth of God's Love. We see that it is a Love that will not end.

That Love has come to dwell in us---to divinize us with its power to transform, renew, and energize. It is never absent from us. We can see it all around us.

We can sometimes think of this scene as the bridging of the old and new covenants. It also shows us the continuity between the covenants and indicates the importance of this bridge in taking us both ways so that we can appreciate the depth and beauty of God's Covenant with us.

God has made a promise. God has invited us into a relationship and has told us that God will always be faithful. Moses and Elijah are witnesses to that faithfulness, that commitment, that caring.

Jesus shows the full extent of that covenant. He leads us to an eternal exodus that will transform us in glory.

The Father affirms that covenant, that bridge, once again and invites us to listen to the message of Jesus. Kathy's photo reminds us that this message of care and concern is all around us.

The Bridge is beautiful. As we walk on it, we are invited to be transformed by the warmth of God's Love for us.

Enjoy your walk!

1. Why is prayer so important for Jesus?

2. To where does the prayer of Jesus lead?

3. Why does Luke use the term exodus in this scene?

4. What is the importance of the bridge going both ways?

5. Why does Jesus converse with Moses and Elijah?

Forty

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Forty

Days     Wilderness

Identify     Respond     Obedience

Repent and Resist Temptation

Lent

Scripture:  Luke 4: 1 and 13

Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jesus left the area around the River Jordan and was guided by the Spirit into the wilderness for forty days, to be tempted by the devil. 

When the devil had finished tempting Jesus, he departed from Him for awhile.

Reflection

This reading from Luke comes as we are a few days into our Lenten journey. It presents a scene of Jesus needing to be by Himself after He has been baptized by His cousin, John the Baptist; and after Luke presents the genealogy of Jesus.

Jesus has been anointed by John for His ministry. He is ready to begin. In that beautiful scene of His baptism, the Father and Holy Spirit come to Jesus to confirm His calling to proclaim the Good News.

In the genealogy, Luke shows us the roots of Jesus. He starts with Joseph and traces the heritage of Jesus all the way back to Adam.

In this context Luke then shows Jesus making an unusual move. He goes into the wilderness for forty days.

We might have thought that Jesus would start His ministry right away. He has just been baptized. Luke has Him at about thirty years of age. He has given us the background of Jesus. He should be ready now!

But Jesus is not ready.

Jesus is open to the Holy Spirit.

We notice in this reading that it is the Holy Spirit who leads Jesus into the wilderness. Right from the beginning, it is not the way of the human Jesus---it is God's way.

The Holy Spirit knows that Jesus will face an onslaught of temptations. Any time when a person tries to do good and share love and express concern for others, there will be obstacles.

There will be people who will say to you, "You are doing that just to draw attention to yourself."

"Who do you think you are?"

"Are you trying to be better than everyone else? Holier than thou?"

It is easy to get discouraged. Jesus needed, and we all need, interior strength to fight against the stumbling blocks that He, and all of us, will face.

Lent is a great opportunity to identify those issues and to realize that we can respond to them with obedience---listening to the voice of God.

We can repent from our lack of trust in God to provide for our needs. We can repent from our desire to exert power over others. We can repent from the times we worshipped other gods of our own making and desires---the gods of materialism and sensuality. Those gods that destroy our humanity and our caring for others.

We resist those many temptations just as Jesus did. We turn to God who will always be there for us to lead us on the right paths just as the Holy Spirit led Jesus in the wilderness.

That wilderness can seem foreboding and forbidding when we first enter. 

As Kathy's photo shows, however, there are arrows for us and signs (sacraments) that point us in the right direction.

The flowers await!

1. Why do you think the Holy Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness?

2. Can you think of a time in your life when the Holy Spirit led you into the wilderness?

3. What are the temptations that you have faced lately? 

4. What are your feelings about the season of Lent?

Word

 

The Spiritual Waiting Room

Word

Written     Victory

Knowing     Disclosing     Flourishing

Fullness of the Heart

Speak

(photo and poem by Kathy McNamara)

Scripture:   1 Corinthians 15: 54b, 57

Then the word that is written shall be fulfilled: Death is conquered in victory.

Where, O death is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?

Thanks be to God who leads us to victory through Jesus Christ, our Lord.

Luke 6: 45

A good person out of the deposit of what is good in the heart produces good, but an evil person produces only what is evil: for from the fullness of the heart the mouth shares.

Reflection

Our readings show us the power of the Word of God. Saint Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians is talking about immortality and the gift of eternal life that Jesus has won for us.

To illustrate his point about the victory of Jesus over death, Saint Paul quotes a passage from the Prophet Hosea. In chapter 13 verse 14 Hosea is talking about the lack of gratitude among the people and how they have turned away from God. 

God reminds the people of the power God has over death. There are no limits that death can place on God.

Saint Paul knows that this prophecy from Hosea (who lived during the reign of King Jeroboam II in the Northern Kingdom from 786 to 746 BCE) was fulfilled by Jesus when He rose from the dead on Easter Sunday. 

Death now has no power over us.

It has been conquered through the Paschal Mystery---the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus.

The Victory has been won!

It is amazing how powerful the Word of God is. Even though Hosea was writing so many years before Jesus, his words rang true in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

Luke reminds us that there is this ongoing battle between good and evil. We experience this every day. 

As we read the news from far away or as we encounter people in our own communities, we see that contest play out.  If a person has good intentions and a good heart, much goodness will flow from them.

We encounter that goodness many times through the words that people speak.

Do we use our speech to affirm others?

Do we refrain from judging others in our comments?

Do we use our words to help and heal others?

We have all had the experience of suffering a loss or feeling down after hearing some difficult news. A kind word from someone can lift our spirits and gently remind us that Jesus is with us and the Victory has been won.

Speak that Victory!

1. What do you feel when you hear that Jesus has conquered sin and death?

2. Can you think of a time in your life when someone lifted your spirits with their words?

3. What do you see as you reflect on Kathy's photo?

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