Thoughts on patience

 

Patience

The mother of expectation is patience. The French author Simone Weil writes in her notebooks: “Waiting patiently in expectation is the foundation of the spiritual life.” Without patience our expectation degenerates into wishful thinking. Patience comes from the word patior, which means “to suffer.” The first thing that Jesus promises is suffering: “I tell you . . . you will be weeping and wailing . . . and you will be sorrowful.” But he calls these birth pains. And so, what seems a hindrance becomes a way; what seems an obstacle becomes a door; what seems a misfit becomes a cornerstone. Jesus changes our history from a random series of sad incidents and accidents into a constant opportunity for a change of heart. To wait patiently, therefore, means to allow our weeping and wailing to become the purifying preparation by which we are made ready to receive the joy that is promised to us. Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on Laetare Sunday

 4th Sunday of Lent (B) John 3: 14 - 21 

On the fourth Sunday of Lent, the usual austerity of the season is being interrupted:

This Sunday is called Laetare Sunday (Rejoice Sunday): rose vestments (a lightening of the penitential purple) may be worn; altar flowers are permitted; joyous music is appropriate.

Soon, there will be other interruptions of Lent:

· St. Patrick’s Day (next Sunday): a great feast and celebration for many

· St. Joseph’s Day (March 19): a solemnity with Gloria and Creed; another great feast for many

These days when the Church celebrates even in the midst of the penitential season of Lent might remind us of those frequent ups and downs of our lives; particularly the ups and downs, the victories and defeats of our Lenten devotion.

Today particularly, Laetare Sunday, is meant to be a time of joy amidst the “sorrows” of Lent (the austerity, penance, mortification). The name itself, laetare means “rejoice.” But why should we rejoice?

· We are already more than halfway through Lent, and there are already many signs of spring.

· We are only three weeks from Easter, the feast of our greatest joy and greatest hope.

· We rejoice because we are reminded to keep a proper perspective.

During Lent we spend time thinking about – praying about – our sinfulness, how we have turned from God.

We are very much focused on the “negative” as we strive to repent.

But Laetare Sunday and today’s Gospel remind us that not all is heavy, somber, and weighted down with sin and suffering in this Vale of Tears.

Today's Gospel is the very essence of the Good News of our salvation: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son . . .” Remembering the essence of the Gospel is gaining proper perspective, which is of the greatest importance. Our lives, something like the season of Lent, can sometimes seem dark, heavy, somber, weighted down with great pain and terrible suffering. There is no life so charmed that these experiences are unknown.

But, our lives, like Lent, also have those times of Laetare Sunday, and great feasts of St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day. Not all is suffering; not all is rejoicing. Proper perspective and the truth teach us there are times for both.

Remembering the truth of the Gospel, the truth of our Holy Catholic Faith, we keep the proper perspective:

Even in suffering, Our Lord is with us and knows exactly what we do suffer. And even in suffering we believe there will be a glorious end – like the glorious end of the Passion that burst forth into the world on Easter.

Think of that most basic question, “Why should I believe?” We should believe “Because God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him might not perish but might have eternal life.” (Jn 3:16)

So, even as Lent continues for three more weeks, on Laetare Sunday, and on St. Patrick’s Day and St. Joseph’s Day, remember that there is always reason to rejoice! There is always reason to give thanks to God. And having that attitude is what it means to keep the proper perspective of the True Faith.

Don Saunders, S.J. 

Thoughts on passion

 

From Action to Surrender

It is important for me to realize that Jesus fulfills his mission not by what he does, but by what is done to him. Just as with everyone else, most of my life is determined by what is done to me and thus is passion. And because most of my life is passion, things being done to me, only small parts of my life are determined by what I think, say, or do. I am inclined to protest against this and to want all to be action originated by me. But the truth is that my passion is a much greater part of my life than my action. Not to recognize this is self-deception and not to embrace my passion with love is self-rejection. It is good news to know that Jesus is handed over to passion, and through his passion accomplishes his divine task on earth. It is good news for a world passionately searching for wholeness. Jesus’ words to Peter remind me that Jesus’ transition from action to passion must also be ours if we want to follow his way. He says, “When you were young you put on your own belt and walked where you liked; but when you grow old you will stretch out your hands, and somebody else will put a belt round you and take you where you would rather not go” (John 21:18). Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on pruning

 

Pruning

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vine-dresser. Every branch in me that bears no fruit he cuts away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, to make it bear even more” (John 15:1–2).  These words open a new perspective on suffering for me. Pruning helps trees to bear more fruit. Even when I bear fruit, even when I do things for God’s kingdom, even when people express gratitude for coming to know Jesus through me, I need a lot more pruning. Many unnecessary branches and twigs prevent the vine from bearing all the fruit it can. They have to be clipped off. This is a painful process, all the more so because I do not know that they are unnecessary. They often seem beautiful, charming, and very alive. But they need to be cut away so that more fruit can grow. It helps me to think about painful rejections, moments of loneliness, feelings of inner darkness and despair, and lack of support and human affection as God’s pruning. I am aware that I might have settled too soon for the few fruits that I can recognize in my life. I might say, “Well, I am doing some good here and there, and I should be grateful for and content with the little good I do.” But that might be false modesty and even a form of spiritual laziness. God calls me to more. God wants to prune me. A pruned vine does not look beautiful, but during harvest time it produces much fruit. The great challenge is to continue to recognize God’s pruning hand in my life. Then I can avoid resentment and depression and become even more grateful that I am called upon to bear even more fruit than I thought I could. Suffering then becomes a way of purification and allows me to rejoice in its fruits with deep gratitude and without pride. Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on Easter

 The Spring of Living Water

In the midst of Lent I am made aware that Easter is coming again: the days are becoming longer, the snow is withdrawing, the sun is bringing new warmth, and a bird is singing. Yesterday, during the night prayers, a cat was crying! Indeed, spring announces itself. And today, O Lord, I heard you speak to the Samaritan woman. You said, “Anyone who drinks from the water that I shall give will never be thirsty again; the water that I shall give will turn into a spring inside him, welling up to eternal life.” What words! They are worth many hours, days, and weeks of reflection. I will carry them with me in my preparation for Easter. The water that you give turns into a spring. Therefore, I do not have to be stingy with your gift, O Lord. I can freely let the water come from my center and let anyone who desires drink from it. Perhaps I will even see this spring in myself when others come to it to quench their thirst.

Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on obedience

 

Listen to God

Everything we know about Jesus indicates that he was concerned with only one thing: to do the will of his Father. Nothing in the Gospels is as impressive as Jesus’ single-minded obedience to his Father. From his first recorded words in the Temple, “Did you not know that I must be busy with my Father’s affairs?” (Luke 2:49), to his last words on the cross, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46), Jesus’ only concern was to do the will of his Father. He says, “The Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees the Father doing” (John 5:19). . . . Jesus is the obedient one. The center of his life is this obedient relationship with the Father. This may be hard for us to understand because the word obedience has so many negative connotations in our society. It makes us think of authority figures who impose their wills against our desires. It makes us remember unhappy childhood events or hard tasks performed under threats of punishment. But none of this applies to Jesus’ obedience. His obedience means a total, fearless listening to his loving Father. Between the Father and the Son there is only love. Henri Nouwen

Thoughts on the examination of conscience

 3rd Sunday of Lent 

Today’s Gospel, the Cleansing of the Temple, is a good Lenten reminder of what we all need to do.  Jesus tells the Jews, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up.” St. John comments, “But He was speaking about the temple of His body.”  Similarly, St. Paul has taught us that we are “temples of the Holy Spirit.” (1 Cor. 3: 16)  We need to consider what cleansing we need to do in the weeks of Lent remaining. 

Lent is meant to be a type of “spiritual spring cleaning,” and spring begins in slightly more than two weeks.  To “cleanse our temples” we need to begin with a thorough examination of conscience and a good Confession, which is still part of our Easter Duty, if we find that we are conscious of serious sin.  Often we confess the same sins; perhaps this is necessary. However, perhaps there are many sins of which we are unaware.  How might we discover those sins? 

The Internet is both a blessing and a curse. But there are many very good Catholic examinations of conscience guides available on the Internet.  Recently I Googled "Catholic examination of conscience" and received 4,640,000 results in 0.60 seconds!  The first on the list was from the US Bishops’ Conference; the second from EWTN. Both good.  I was very impressed by the third listed; it was excellent, orthodox, and thorough, from a website called www.beginning catholic.com. Quite a number of questions followed each of the Ten Commandments. 

One of the traditional ways of examining our conscience to prepare for Confession is to consider the Commandments (as we hear in the First Reading of this Sunday, Exodus 20): 

1. I am the Lord your God; you shall not have strange gods before Me. (prayer; performance of religious duties; idols of pleasure and materialism?) 

2. You shall not take the name of the Lord, your God, in vain. (including promises and resolutions made to God, and blaming God for my failures) 

3. Remember to keep holy the Lord’s Day. (Other than Mass, how do I keep Sunday “holy”?) 

4. Honor your father and your mother. (This concerns parents’ duty to children as well as children’s duty to parents) 

5. You shall not kill. (which includes hatred, anger, jealousy, being an occasion of sin for others) 

6. and 9. You shall not commit adultery. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. (all sins of impurity) 

7. and 10. You shall not steal. You shall not covet your neighbor’s goods. (any envy, dishonesty, deception, fraud) 

8. You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. (lies, gossip, slander, detraction) 

Another way of examining our conscience is to consider the Seven Deadly (or Capital) Sins, the basic roots of all sin:  Wrath (anger); Avarice (greed); Sloth (laziness); Pride; Lust; Envy; Gluttony (anything in excess that can cause harm) 

This Lent may Our Lord give us the graces necessary to continue, or to begin, the "spiritual spring cleaning" of our temple, our immortal soul. 



May He give us the graces necessary to make a good Confession. 

Don Saunders, S.J.