Reflection for Tuesday of the Fifteenth Week in Ordinary Time

My pastor asked me to write and present a reflection for the remaining Tuesdays of my assignment.

July 16^th Reflection 

Ex 2:1-14A, Ps 69:3,14,30-31,33-34, Mt 11:20-24

 

Did God change between the Old Testament and the New Testament? We often fall into the trap of thinking that God was harsh in the Old Testament and merciful in the New Testament.  Today’s Gospel clearly shows Jesus condemning entire towns just like God did in the Old Testament.  In most other New Testament passages, we clearly see the mercy of Jesus.  We hear today about God’s mercy to Moses, saving him from the Nile.

 

So what is going on here?  Did God change? Or are our perceptions in error? Our catechism teaches that God never changes, so it must be our perceptions that are in error.  God of the Old Testament certainly handed out His share of punishment, but was merciful to His people Israel again and again.

 

We get into trouble when we try to describe God as a human being.  God’s ways are so far above our ways, we cannot understand His ways.  If we try to describe God, we limit God.  As my Philosophy professor was fond of saying, “God is God, and we are not”.  In fact, he frequently reminded us that “God is”.  This simple message is good for us to keep in mind.  Jesus became man to cross that gap between God and man, but God (and Jesus) is still God.

 

Many in today’s society say that, “The Church is out of touch, it needs to modernize”.  I respond, “The Church is in touch with the unchanging God, society has changed”.  Society, as a whole, is trying to become god, to write its own set of commandments.  Our brothers and sisters in the world need our prayers to rediscover the one unchanging God.  I pray that those playing at god will find the true God’s mercy…a mercy that is full and complete…a mercy that we can never fully comprehend.

Reflection for Tuesday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time

My pastor asked me to write and present a reflection for the remaining Tuesdays of my assignment.

July 9^th Reflection 
Gn 32:23-33, PS 17:1b, 2-3, 6-7ab, 8b and 15, Mt 9:32-38

In today’s reading from Genesis, we hear about Jacob wrestling with a messenger from God, all night, in a physical test.  The psalmist, likewise, talks about our hearts being tested, all night, in a spiritual test.

I’m willing to bet that none of us have ever had a physical struggle with God, or his messenger, but we have all had our share of spiritual struggles.  We may have had a crisis of faith, or wondered why God allowed evil to exist, or why a loved one had to get sick and die.  We may have questioned or completely ignored a teaching of the Church. We have all struggled with our faith or with our God at one time or another.

On the other end of the spectrum is the image found in today’s Gospel.  Christ looked upon the crowds and saw them as sheep without a shepherd.  Sheep do not struggle against the shepherd; they follow the shepherd because the shepherd knows what is best for them and cares for them.

So should we just follow God blindly as a sheep would? Or should we struggle like Jacob?  The answer lies somewhere between.  God gave us a free will, so following blindly is not the answer.  Struggling with God’s truth can be good for us.  If we do not understand a teaching of the Church, or of our faith, we should take the time to learn more about it and understand it.  This struggle towards understanding more of our faith is good for us.  The result of the struggle will frequently put us in a position of following God more closely.

Today’s Gospel calls for more laborers for the harvest.  The more we know about our faith, the more we can act as harvesters in the fields.

 

My sister

I've been ignoring an issue in my life and it feels right to write about it now.  Last year, I noted some health problems with my family.  Since then, I have not mentioned them and it is time to touch upon them again.

My big (and only) sister, Maureen, has been in acute rehab for three weeks.  She just came home on Friday.  From what you might ask?  She fell in her bedroom.

Since the removal of that GBT type of Brain Tumor I mentioned in the post last year, she had radiation therapy and has been on monthly chemotherapy to keep it from recurring.  This particular cancer almost always comes back and the median survival rate is 15 months.  It has been almost 15 months now.

The removal of part of her brain and the effects of the chemotherapy have affected her decision making, short term memory and balance.  Her motor skills are not what they used to be and that is why she fell.  While she is home now, she has a Life Alert bracelet, needs 24/7 monitoring and has been instructed to keep out of the kitchen for fear of burning herself.  The condo had undergone a transformation to make it safer for her.  The activities going on now remind me very much of certain hospice activities at the end of my wife's life.  But, nobody on the health care team is saying that the end is near.

She still holds up her end of a conversation, but her short term memory is uncertain.  My nieces (her daughters) have worked hard to get her the care that she needs.  The one who lives the closest has been there three days a week to assist and hire people to help out.

The doctors and nursing team are doing their part.  All we can do now is pray.

Boston Seminarian's Retreat

I'm back from a 48 hour retreat with my brother Seminarians from Boston.  This is the one time during the year that men from all three seminaries in Boston (St John's, Blessed John and Redemtoris Mater) gather for an extended period of prayer, talks and social time.

To be honest, I was not particularly looking forward to this year's retreat.  Last year's retreat did not do much for me and actually put me off a bit because I could not find any common ground with my classmates in the other two seminaries. There were actually some derogatory remarks about the old guys.  This year was a completely different experience.

I found two classmates almost immediately and we had an extended talk with other men one afternoon.  We continued to touch base throughout the retreat.  The talks by the retreat leader were right on point for what I needed to hear.  My personal prayer was going well.  It was a good 48 hours.

I am now back in Hull, refreshed, recharged and ready to go.

A Transition Weekend and Week

Time to leave the lovely, but wet, state of Maine.  I think it has rained every day since I arrived. 

My dad has met with his new health care aide, Katie  They seem to be doing OK together.  Dad, at 93, has asked for help and the VNA is responding with help twice a week.  I think I will sleep a little better knowing that somebody is looking in on him and helping with his medications.

My sister is still in rehab after her fall, but is expected home next Friday.  We may have to made some accommodations at the condo to support her mobility, but we will all be glad to have her home.  There is way more to this story and one of these days, I will get into it.

As I leave Maine, I am heading to Logan airport to pick up a brother seminarian who has just completed walking the El Camino in Spain.  I'll be spending tonight at the seminary and then Saturday in Westford.  I'll be playing the 5:00 Mass at my home parish and then attending the choir year-end party.  Then it is back to Hull for Saturday night.

I hope to be awake and attending the 7:00 Mass at Hull, but will surely be there for the 9:00 and 11:00 Masses.  Fr. Joe should be back from Medugorje late Sunday and we have Monday together before I head off for the annual Boston Seminarian's Retreat.  I'll be back in Hull on Thursday afternoon and should be there until the end of July.

Back in Maine

My pastor is leading a trip to Medjugorje this coming week, so I am back in Maine rather than living in the rectory alone.

Let's call it a working vacation. I need to address some medical issues in the family and work through some financial issues as well.  I sure won't be sleeping and sightseeing all week.

Looking forward to Friday when I pick up my seminary brother Russ at Logan  to hear all about his El Camino trek.

Marian night of Prayer

Our speaker for the night was Rev. Michael Sevigny, a Capuchin Franciscan for 43 years and a priest for 33, the head of the new order, based at a former convent on the grounds of Immaculate Conception church in Weymouth.

The new Order “Apostles of Peace” is a Marian Community of men and women in formation under the guidance of the Archdiocese of Boston. It is a community of both contemplation and action. Their spirituality is focused on the Charism of Eucharistic Adoration and Peace. 

 

There was singing, adoration, the rosary, and a brief talk.  I would go again, given the chance.