“The spiritual life is not a theory.” Alcoholics Anonymous
Since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses,
let us rid ourselves of every burden and sin that clings to us
and persevere in running the race that lies before us. Hebrews 12:1
Today I feel like I am walking backwards in my race towards God. I have prayed, talked to a trusted friend, written to God, and now I am surrendering my life and will to the One who is Compassion. I know I will be given what I need to persevere.
[Jesus said,] “For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.” Luke 12:34
The heart leads where the mind is afraid to go. The heart trusts what the mind cannot make sense of. The heart opens and welcomes when the mind stays closed and isolated.
The heart knows sorrow, experiences compassion, abounds in forgiveness. The heart recognizes God in the faces of all people, finds God in the beauty of the natural world, discovers God in silence. The heart shines out love, expands in gratitude, heals with grace.
Luke 12:13-21
Then [Jesus] told them a parable.
“There was a rich man whose land produced a bountiful harvest. He asked himself, ‘What shall I do, for I do not have space to store my harvest?’ Luke 12:16-17
I’d like to cultivate a practice of open hands that give freely, reach out with compassion, touch gently, and comfort others in times of need.
I’d like to cultivate a practice of open hands that humbly express my need to be shown God’s will.
I’d like to cultivate a practice of open hands that let go of greed, resentment, and all that prevents me from loving God, my neighbor, and myself.
Luke 11:1-13
“Lord, teach us to pray…”
Ask and receive are two parts that make a whole. When I ask God to show me the next right thing to do, I receive God’s guidance—often pointing me to the simple tasks of everyday life. When I ask God to be with me in times of stress or sorrow, I receive God’s comforting presence—often through the compassion and kindness of friends, family, or strangers. When I ask God to make me more like the Lord, I receive God’s grace—often through opportunities to practice gratitude, forgiveness, and patience.
When I ask God to teach me to pray, I receive the longing to spend quiet time with God, getting to know the Lord more intimately. I receive the courage to take those quiet moments to be renewed in the Lord’s love. And I receive the joy of being in the presence of the One who loves me and who is teaching me to love more perfectly.
Luke 10:38-42
Johannes (Jan) Vermeer – Christ in the House of Martha and Mary, 1654
Google Art Project
Wikimedia Commons
I tend to be like Martha – keeping busy, doing the laundry, making a meal, getting the groceries, rushing to work, paying the bills, checking my email… and welcoming friends and even strangers who need a listening ear.
On the other hand, I tend to be like Mary – taking time to ponder the things of God. I love to sit on my step and look at the trees and feel the Holy Spirit wind. I love to walk on the beach and feel the rhythm of the ocean and watch the sea gulls soaring. I love to talk to friends and hear their stories and insights about life. I love having time to do nothing in particular except be.
Jesus is right: Mary has chosen the better part. But he didn’t say that Martha’s part isn’t good or necessary. I think he is giving me a gentle reminder about balance. If I am a spiritual being in human form, then I need to consciously place my spirit in the presence of God every day.
The Good Samaritan
Luke 10:25-37
When I notice your pain, your grief, your struggle—compassion moves me to reach out, to comfort, to console. I have been where you are. I have experienced rejection, abandonment, abuse, and loss.
It starts with the awareness. If I am not aware of my own pain, I will never notice yours. If I am not aware of my own suffering, I will walk by and leave you on your own. If I am not aware of my own humanity, I will tend to overlook yours. If I am not aware of the Truth of my place as a beloved child of God, I will never welcome you as an equally beloved child of God.
Open my eyes and heart to love my neighbor as myself.
[Jesus] said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.” Luke 10:2a
Do I bring peace with me wherever I go, whatever place I enter? Do I smile, say please and thank you, hold the door for others? Do I make eye contact and greet everyone I meet? Do I stop to help someone in need, listen to someone’s story, comfort someone who is suffering? Do I remember to be grateful for running water, plentiful food, access to education, and all the other gifts that fill my daily life?
How can I bring a bit of the Lord’s peace with me today?
Luke 9:51-62
And another said, “I will follow you, Lord,
but first let me say farewell to my family at home.”
To him Jesus said, “No one who sets a hand to the plow
and looks to what was left behind is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Luke 9:61-62
Once I have made the decision to put my life and will into God’s care, I begin to live in the present, open to God’s loving presence and guidance. Although I can learn from the past, I no longer wallow in regrets for what might have been. I put my hand in God’s and allow myself to be led to love and forgiveness of myself and my neighbor, to discernment of my gifts and talents and how to use them in God’s service, to wholeness and healing.
Every day I am made a new creation in Christ Jesus.
Every day I can set my intention to carry out the work of love, compassion, and forgiveness.
Every day I can reflect my likeness to God in goodness, generosity, and kindness.
Every day I can run to bring the Good News of God’s presence to others with my words, attitude, and actions.
Every day is the re-birth of innocence and holiness with endless possibilities for me to embody these qualities.
Rembrandt, Jesus und Ehebrecherin
Courtesy Wikimedia Commons
Reproduced in the March 2013 edition of Give Us This Day
Who did I stone this week? Did I hurl negative words? Put-downs? Blame? Scorn? Did I put on an attitude of superiority? Did I cause injury by my indifference to others’ needs?
Who stoned me this week? Was I wounded by someone’s actions or words? Did I cast stones at myself for not being perfect? Did I damage my self-esteem by comparing myself negatively with others? Who did I turn to in my shame and pain?
God loves us unconditionally and asks us to do the same for ourselves and each other. Just for today let me be intentional about building up the kingdom of God by building up all those I encounter – including myself – with kind words, generous actions, and responsible behavior.
Mary Ann McSweeny 