Nov. 10, 2019 God of the Living

November 10, 2019   God of the Living   Year C

Reading I:   2 Maccabees 
7:1-2, 9-14

Psalm: 17

Reading II:  2 Thessalonians
2:16-3:5

Gospel:  Luke 20:27-38

In today’s Gospel, we find the Sadducees challenging Jesus. The Sadducees were Jews who did not believe in the resurrection of the dead. Therefore, in an effort to discredit Jesus’ teachings, they posed a question to Him.

The Sadducees presented a situation about a widow whose husband had died leaving her childless.  They then referred to Moses’ instruction that if a man were left without an heir, one of his brothers was to marry his wife and raise up descendants for his deceased brother.

In the widower’s family there were seven brothers. Each time one of the brothers married this woman they would die leaving the widow childless. The big question that they asked of Jesus was “At the Resurrection, whose wife will that woman be? ...for all seven had been married to her.”

Jesus responded, “The children of this age marry and remarry: but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise, even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called out ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and He is  not God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive.” (Luke 20:37-38)

As fall begins, we see the leaves on many trees dying. In fact, the bare trees give the impression of being dead. However, in the spring we see new life as flowers and leaves bud forth. It is during the spring that we celebrate Easter, the Resurrection of Jesus and His promise that we too will be raised up to new life.

I recall that when I taught sixth-graders and talked about heaven, some thought heaven would be boring. Perhaps, they thought that they would be singing “Glory to God in the Highest” all the time like the angels at Christmas time.

I did a questioning exercise with them to dispel their assumptions. First, I asked them what would make a baby happy. Some answers were a rattle or playing Peek-a-Boo. Then I asked what would make a five-year-old happy? Some responses were a doll or a truck. Then I moved up to a twelve-year-old. A bicycle and a basketball were mentioned. (When I was a young teacher, video games, etc. had not yet been invented.) The children got the point that at different times in our lives, the things that make us happy change.

Finally, I explained that when we die there will be new things that will make us happy. Scripture says: “What no one ever saw or heard, what no one ever thought could happen, is the very thing God prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 9)

Often times, I have noted that some people have very difficult lives here on earth. It gives me consolation to know that they have the afterlife with the Lord to anticipate.

In the first reading, we hear of the seven brothers and their mother who were tortured in order to force them to eat pork, which was against the law of God at that time. At the point of death, one brother said, “You accursed fiend, you are depriving us of this present life, but the King of the world will raise us up to live again forever.”

 Reflection Question:  Is the belief in an afterlife a consolation to you?  If so, why?

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...

Dios de la vida

En el Evangelio de hoy, encontramos a los saduceos desafiando a Jesús. Los saduceos eran judíos que no creían en la resurrección de los muertos. Por lo tanto, en un esfuerzo por desacreditar las enseñanzas de Jesús, le hicieron una pregunta.

Los saduceos presentaron una situación sobre una viuda cuyo esposo había muerto dejándola sin hijos. Luego se refirieron a las instrucciones de Moisés de que si un hombre se quedaba sin heredero, uno de sus hermanos debía casarse con su esposa y criar descendientes para su hermano fallecido.

En la familia del viudo había siete hermanos. Cada vez que uno de los hermanos se casaba con esta mujer, moría dejando a la viuda sin hijos. La gran pregunta que le hicieron a Jesús fue “En la resurrección, ¿de quién será esa mujer esa esposa? ... porque los siete se habían casado con ella”.

Jesús respondió: Los hijos de esta edad se casan y se vuelven a casar: pero los que se consideran dignos de alcanzar para la edad venidera y para la resurrección de los muertos no se casan ni se dan en matrimonio. Ya no pueden morir, porque son como ángeles; y ellos son los hijos de Dios porque ellos son los que resucitarán. Que los muertos resucitarán, incluso Moisés dio a conocer en el pasaje sobre la zarza, cuando llamó al ‘Señor’, el Dios de Abraham, el Dios de Isaac y el Dios de Jacob; y no es Dios de los muertos, sino de los vivos, porque para él todos están vivos”. (Lucas 20:37-38)

Cuando comienza el otoño, vemos morir las hojas de muchos árboles. De hecho, los árboles desnudos dan la impresión de estar muertos. Sin embargo, en la primavera vemos una nueva vida a medida que brotan las flores y las hojas. Es durante la primavera que celebramos la Pascua, la resurrección de Jesús y su promesa de que nosotros también seremos resucitados a una nueva vida.

Recuerdo que cuando enseñé a alumnos de sexto grado y hablé sobre el cielo, algunos pensaron que el cielo sería aburrido. Tal vez, pensaron que estarían cantando “Gloria a Dios en las alturas” todo el tiempo como los ángeles en Navidad.

Hice un ejercicio de preguntas con ellos para disipar sus suposiciones. Primero, les pregunté qué haría feliz a un bebé. Algunas respuestas fueron un sonajero o jugar Peek-a-Boo. Luego pregunté qué haría feliz a un niño de cinco años. Algunas respuestas fueron una muñeca o un camión. Luego me mudé a un niño de doce años. Se mencionaron una bicicleta y una pelota de baloncesto.  (Cuando era un joven maestro, los videojuegos, etc., aún no se habían inventado). Los niños entendieron que en diferentes momentos de nuestras vidas, las cosas que nos hacen felices cambian.

Finalmente, le expliqué que cuando muramos habrá cosas nuevas que nos harán felices. La escritura dice: “Lo que nadie vio ni escuchó, lo que nadie pensó que podría suceder, es lo que Dios preparó para aquellos que lo aman”. (1 Corintios 9)

Muchas veces, he notado que algunas personas tienen vidas muy difíciles aquí en la tierra. Me consuela saber que tienen una vida futura con el Señor para anticipar.

En la primera lectura, escuchamos de los siete hermanos y su madre que fueron torturados para obligarlos a comer carne de cerdo, lo que estaba en contra de la ley de Dios en ese momento. En el momento de la muerte, un hermano dijo: “Maldito demonio, nos estás privando de esta vida presente, pero el Rey del mundo nos resucitará para vivir de nuevo para siempre”.

 Pregunta de Reflexíon:  ¿Es la creencia en una vida futura un consuelo para ti? Si es así, ¿por qué?

Comments:

Stephanie Morris, Ph. D, Historian, Certified Archivist, emerita

As a child, did you ever tell your mother: “The teacher wasn’t fair – she punished the entire class for something one kid did”?  And did your mother then say: “The world isn’t fair”? Pilate found Jesus “innocent,” yet Jesus was scourged, crowned with thorns and cruelly crucified. That hardly seemed “fair.” But we, with the eyes of faith, see that Jesus’ sacrifice was necessary open the gates of heaven to all.  Mother Katharine noted that “Heaven is our home, we were made for it.” Whatever happens to us here on earth is insignificant; what matters is how we use every minute of our earthly life to prepare us for our return home, to heaven.

Pat Chiaffa, ASBS

Annually, the season of Autumn invites me to explore the myriad of feelings that stir within me every time I witness the exquisite colors of the leaves, and subsequently watch them fall from their life source to the ground where they dry and wither. I’ve yet to delve deep enough to reflect on the richness of the interior awareness resulting from observing the breathtaking hues of red and orange leaves leading to the barrenness of the tree on which they once thrived. I notice the change in light and the increasing prevalence of darkness, which tends to dull my senses. At one level, these changes address my vulnerability to the forces of nature as I progress from being actively engaged in many areas of life, to slowing down physically, and enter into the autumn years of the life cycle. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul writes, “Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day.” There is a grace, a sacredness of sorts, which permeates the crisp autumnal air.

The feasts of All Saints and All Souls remind me that there is more to ponder. What are my thoughts about life after death…am I anticipating eternal life?  What does that mean to me? How should my beliefs influence how I choose to live out my autumn years?

For six decades, I have been affirming a belief in life everlasting with every recitation of the Apostles Creed. The Bible has multiple references to eternal life. My most cherished one is from John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  The lives of the Saints all point to a belief in life after death.

One perspective I am very at ease with is that of Father Joseph Boyle who states, “I expect death to be a transition. I think it is a movement into a space that is not limited by our body and our senses that are quite limited now. I like the phrase in St. Paul, that we will ‘see God face to face’ [1 Corinthians 13:12] and we’ll relate to people and the beauty of who they are without the ego-agendas we have right now.

I see [life after death] as infinite love, as if the whole atmosphere of heaven is filled with God…I think that we are going to see and know each other in God…It strikes me as a homecoming, us returning home to where we come from…and all of our brothers and sisters are coming home as well…I certainly have a very deep hope that it is a transition into an incredible related life.”

People who have had near death experiences report being in the presence of a brilliant light, from which they felt tremendous warmth, peace and love surrounding them. Many report seeing loved ones. 

My faith, prayers, Scripture studies, and the lives of the saints, provide enough support for me to believe that God will deliver on his promise of eternal life. Therefore, I live each day in anticipation of eternity.  I once heard the suggestion that we should live each day as if it were our last day of life. I think that’s good advice for those of us with the goal of living in eternity.

Oct. 20, 2019 Persistence in Prayer

October 20, 2019   Persistence in Prayer   Year C

Reading I: 
Exodus 17:8-13

Psalm:  121

Reading II: 
2 Timothy 3:14-4:2

Gospel: 
Luke 18:1-8

In today’s reading from Exodus, we have a beautiful story about Moses’ persistence in prayer. Amalek attacked Israel, so Moses told Joshua to gather a group of men and defend Israel from Amalek and his men. In the meantime, Moses climbed to the top of a hill with Aaron and Hur. As long as Moses kept his hands raised in prayer, Israel was winning the fight.

However, Moses’ hands became tired, so they put a rock in place for him to sit. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one on each side. With that help Moses was able to keep his hands raised and Israel won the battle.

This is a wonderful illustration of how we are able to persist in prayer with the help of others. Most likely when Moses was praying, he was not only asking for help with the battle, but also offering praise and thanks to God for all His blessings.

God wants us, like beloved children, to tell him how we feel and what we want. However, God knows what is best for us. In prayer, our purpose is not to control God, but rather to keep up communication with Him, and thus, deepen our relationship with Him.

In the Gospel, Jesus tells a parable (story to teach a lesson) about the importance of praying always. He describes a widow who approached a judge asking him to render a decision in her favor. He kept putting her off for a long while. However, because she persisted in making her request, the unjust
judge gave into her because she might do him some harm if he did not grant her request.
 
On the other hand, God is faithful and just, and He will respond to our requests in the way that is best for us. On our part, we need to trust that he knows us better than we know ourselves. One of my favorite prayers is: Into your loving hands, I commend myself and my loved ones. Another is from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy: “For the sake of His sorrowful passion, have mercy on us and on the whole world.”

 Reflection Question:  How can I make my prayer a frequent, loving conversation with God, rather than just a time to ask for favors?

Spanish Translation of Reflection Above...
Persistencia en la Oración

En la lectura de hoy de Éxodo, tenemos una hermosa historia sobre la persistencia de Moisés en la oración. Amalek atacó a Israel, por lo que Moisés le dijo a Joshua que reuniera a un grupo de hombres y defendiera a Israel de Amalek y sus hombres. Mientras tanto, Moisés subió a la cima de una colina con Aaron y Hur. Mientras Moisés mantenía sus manos levantadas en oración, Israel estaba ganando la pelea.

Sin embargo, las manos de Moisés se cansaron, por lo que le pusieron una piedra para que se sentara. Aaron y Hur apoyaron sus manos, una a cada lado. Con esa ayuda, Moisés pudo mantener sus manos levantadas e Israel ganó la batalla.

Esta es una ilustración maravillosa de cómo podemos persistir en la oración con la ayuda de otros. Lo más probable es que cuando Moisés estaba orando, no solo estaba pidiendo ayuda con la batalla, sino también ofreciendo alabanzas y gracias a Dios por todas sus bendiciones.

Dios quiere que nosotros, como hijos amados, le digamos cómo nos sentimos y qué queremos. Sin embargo, Dios sabe lo que es mejor para nosotros. En la oración, nuestro propósito no es controlar a Dios, sino mantener la comunicación con Él, y así profundizar nuestra relación con Él.

En el Evangelio, Jesús cuenta una parábola (historia para enseñar una lección) sobre la importancia de orar siempre. Describe a una viuda que se acercó a un juez y le pidió que tomara una decisión a su favor. Siguió posponiéndola durante mucho tiempo. Sin embargo, debido a que ella persistió en hacer su pedido, lo injusto el juez se entregó a ella porque podría hacerle algún daño si él no le concedía su pedido.
 
Por otro lado, Dios es fiel y justo, y responderá a nuestras solicitudes de la mejor manera para nosotros. Por nuestra parte, debemos confiar en que él nos conoce mejor que nosotros mismos. Una de mis oraciones favoritas es: En tus manos amorosas, me encomiendo a mí y a mis seres queridos. Otro es de la Coronilla de la Divina Misericordia: “Por el bien de su dolorosa pasión, ten piedad de nosotros y del mundo entero”.

 Pregunta de Reflexión:   ¿Cómo puedo hacer de mi oración una conversación frecuente y amorosa con Dios, en lugar de solo un momento para pedir favores?

Comments:

Stephanie Morris, Ph. D, Historian, Certified Archivist, emerita

If we say the “Morning Offering,” then everything we do or say during the day is offered to God.  We don’t have to say the Rosary as we walk up and down the aisles in the grocery store, but we can thank God for the farmers who provided the food. After we buy the food and are walking to our car, we can simply say “Thank you that I could buy this food.” If we recall that God is constantly with us, and that we are in His presence at all times, prayer does not have to be formal.  We are chatting with a dear Friend, our Protector, our Savior. We can be ourselves and speak frankly (He has heard worse!).  As a young woman, St. Katharine reminded herself to say a prayer whenever a clock struck. Prayer can be a spontaneous act, like the “growth of a flower, the singing of a bird.” Make up your own song and sing it spontaneously to God.

Pat Chiaffa, ASBS

Sr. Annette,

The words of your favorite prayer, “Into your loving hands…,” transport me to San Alfonso Retreat Center, located in Long Branch, New Jersey. Situated on the beach is a large crucifix that bears the crucified body of Christ. The cross stands between two large stone monuments that bear the words of our beloved Savior, “Into Your hands, I commend my Spirit.” The backdrop of this poignant memorial is ocean and sky, which naturally calls one to reverence and awe.

My prayer, all too often, has been a monologue where I talk, hope that God is listening and impatiently await Him to deliver on my requests. This approach never resulted in a deepened relationship with God.

The following excerpt, from an online article in Guideposts (https://www.guideposts.org/faith-and-prayer/prayer-stories/pray-effectively/5-ways-to-make-your-prayers-a-conversation-with-god), suggests five steps that contribute to developing a loving, trusting relationship with God.

1.  Listen
If your prayer time is just talk, talk, talk, you’re unlikely to hear God’s voice. But if you spend some time in silence, you might be surprised at what you hear God say.

2.  Journal
Writing your prayers transforms them. The act of writing slows you down and allows more room for reflection. You can also look back at what you have prayed in the past and see when and how God has answered.

3.  Read
One of the main ways God speaks in prayer is through reading—but not just any kind of reading. I have learned to read the Bible more slowly and thoughtfully when I pray than at other times. I have also learned that certain books—such as A. W. Tozer’s The Pursuit of God and Teresa of Avila’s The Way of Perfection—foster interior conversations between God and me.

4.  Ask Questions
Few people ask God questions in prayer, maybe because they don’t intend (or know how) to wait for an answer. But asking questions—whether aloud or in writing—is one of the best ways to cultivate a conversation. You might ask things like, “Where are you leading me today?” or “What would you like to bring to my attention right now?”

5.  Wait
King David once wrote, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly” (Psalm 5:3, NIV). That’s a key to dialogue in prayer—waiting expectantly. Too often we lay our requests before God and then rush off to our next appointment or task. But dialogue includes waiting expectantly—giving God space to respond, listening for His voice, hoping for His answer.

New to me is step 4 – asking questions. I really like incorporating inquiry into prayer. I find myself being more present to my daily activities as I intentionally seek to be aware of possible responses.  Engaging these steps naturally slows us down, leads us into a more mindful state of being in which we get in touch with our soul, with our true longings.

I recently returned from a retreat at San Alfonso. The theme of the weekend was “A Call to Holiness.” Throughout the conferences and integrated into communal prayer was the reflective question, “Am I becoming the person God created me to be?” It is a good question to add to step four.

 “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” Psalm 25:4