Always

"And remember, 

I am with you always, 

to the end of time." 

                                      - Jesus 

                                                                                  -  Matthew 28.20

In my opinion and through my life journey I would have to say that the above line is the greatest line in scripture. I'm sure scripture scholars would have comments on this and find others that are as equally valued, however this one small line in scripture is very powerful. It contains a promise that is never broken and one that we have no control over and that is a good thing. 

Christ came to us as a child, grew, learned, revealed God's graces and mercy, showed us love, died as a criminal, rose from the dead, gifted us with his Spirit and promised to be with us always. Always no matter what or where or when or who or why - Jesus is with us.

So often I forget this - even though I have this quote posted on my door - so often I deny that he is present, or choose not to see him or fail to recognize his presence. Why? Why do I/we fail to remember this great promise?

I keep thinking of another quote; one by Marianne Williamson: "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate, our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us." 

I wonder if that is why I/we forget the promise of Jesus being with us always? Is it because he is so close and that the power we do have is because of his life and light in us? Is it because his light is so intense that I/we say "it can't be, or not me, or impossible, or why here or not now..." 

Yet Christ says:

I am here

I am present

I am with you

I love you

You are mine

until... well... always... forever.

I am with you in the

hurts and pains

I am with you in the

struggles and empty

I am with you in the

darkness and fears.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the 

joys and healing

I am with you in the

success and fullness

I am with you in the

light and the overcoming.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

times when no else is

I am with you in the 

questions, wondering, desires

I am with you in the

seeking to live fully.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

moments of peace

I am with you in the

shouts of praise

I am with you in the

whispers of thanksgiving.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

lonely

I am with you in the

sadness

I am with you in the

disappointments.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

loving

I am with you in the

generosity

I am with you in the

service.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

times you feel efforts are wasted

I am with you in the

moments you feel forgotten 

I am with you in the

distress of uncertainty.

I am with you always.

I am with you in the

morning.

I am with you in the

day time

I am with you in the

night.

I am with you always.

I am with you always

for I am freedom

I am with you always

for I am redemption

I am with you always

for I am always hope.

I am with you always.

I am with you always

my child

I am with you always

my beloved

I am with you always

my very own.

I am with you always.

I am with you always

for all time

I am with you always

for I am God - Father, Son and Holy Spirit

I am with you always

for I love you... you are mine.

I am with you always.

I am with you...

I am here...

I am...

always.

Overwhelmed By Love

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my Father. You did not 

choose me but I chose you. And I appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask him in my name. I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another."

                                                                              - John 15:12-17

To bear fruit that will last seems to be the greatest witness of love for others in the way that Christ has loved us. This commandment had to be overwhelming for the disciples. Jesus presents to them the love commandment in light of friendship, an intimacy that he shares with them and yet one that they may not have fully grasped until after his resurrection. Laying down one’s life for a friend looks different after crucifixion and resurrection, it gives a depth and a richness to this commandment of love.

The gospel of John presents Jesus sharing this commandment at the Last Supper after the foot-washing. Not only had Jesus washed their feet, he now challenges them to take that action into the world by means of loving others and bearing fruit. Again this had to be overwhelming for the disciples, they had to be asking how? where? when? always? with him? for them? friendship? love?

Between the foot-washing and the love commandment Jesus shares a lot with his disciples, again overwhelming seems like the best way to describe it. There was the model of discipleship, the commandment to love so others will know they are his disciples, Jesus’ declaration of him as “the way, the truth, the life”, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, his gift of peace, and the image of the vine and branches all coming together in the command to love in friendship, to lay down one’s life and to bear fruit. That is a lot to take in, to appreciate, to live by, to process… overwhelming seems to be the best descriptor.

And then the betrayal, then the cross, then his death, then the burial, then the end… or so they thought and what they thought was the end was really the start of going and bearing fruit that would last, and what was thought to be overwhelming was transformed and strengthened by love and as his words began to come back to them and settle in their bones and they remembered Jesus saying, “You did not choose me, but I chose you” and what was overwhelming or seemed impossible was swallowed up by God’s great love and became life-giving and possible.

So it is for us, when our lives feel overwhelming, when we feel overwhelmed by the commandment to love and the teachings of Jesus, we must be nourished by his love which he offers time and again at each Eucharist. Which in turn strengthens us to go bear lasting fruit (loving relationships, community, respect, care for the less fortunate, forgiveness, etc.) knowing he has chosen us. The great love of Christ is ours and as we are sent forth to proclaim the gospel we do so with love only because Christ did so first in laying down his life for us.

Together let us help each other to bear much fruit 

and change the world by truly loving one another.

How have you been a bearer of lasting fruit?

How have you been a witness to the love of the Risen Christ? 

There is no time like the present... it is always seeding time...

Where can you be a bearer of fruit in the days and weeks ahead?

A Living Stone

Each day we are called to

Come to the Lord

who is a Living Stone,

filling us with the Spirit and wisdom

to be people of good standing,

always precious in God’s sight.

We are also called each day to

be living stones for one another,

a witness of God’s love, mercy and kindness,

together to be built into a spiritual house -

living walls, unique, beautiful, powerful, inspired

and to claim our common holy priesthood –

offering together the work of our hands.

We are empowered by our Living God,

for we are God’s beloved Children,

each of us, all of us, no matter where or when,

we are a chosen race – black, white, poor, rich, free, slave

we are a royal priesthood – heirs to a kingdom, anointed as holy

we are a holy nation – building together with respect and gratitude

We have been called out of darkness,

into the marvelous light of our God

– into God’s light

which encompasses every hurt and pain,

every joy and happiness, every gift and struggle…

God’s marvelous light is always present

for God’s love is upon us as we hope (always hope) in God.

Today, tomorrow, and beyond Jesus has a message for us…

Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled

for I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.

Believe in me, for I Believe in you.

Yes Lord, Yes Lord…

You are indeed the Way, the Truth and the Life…

for I see how you guide me on the Way,

your Truths you reveal to me in great and small ways,

your very Life breathes in me and calls me

to let go of my unbelief for I know you are here

and when my heart is troubled and grows heavy

you are stronger than any trouble or heaviness

for you are light, marvelous light

in which I walk,

which reveals to me truth

and which illumines my life to radiate you…

the True Living Stone and the True Living Bread…

Amen.

Several of the phrases shared in the reflection above are from the readings from the 5^th Sunday of Easter (Acts 6:1-7, Psalm 33, 1 Peter 2:4-9 and John 14:1-12). As they sat within my heart they beckoned to be blended together to share the message of our calling and that Christ reminds us that he is always with us (remember last week we were remind of Abundant Life). The line “the way, the truth, the life” continues to surface for me in prayer and reflection. I pray that each of us may continue to understand this gift more and more on our journey as we live out our Abundant Life in Christ.

Abundant Life

This week I am sharing a reflection for this Sunday's Gospel from a Brother of mine. Br. Javier is from Mexico and is going to school in Chicago. He is a simply professed Friar with Holy Name Province. We were classmates at the Novitiate. Br. Javier has a deep love for scripture. His reflections often challenge us to truly live a gospel life. I am grateful that he has allowed me to share his reflection in my blog. I hope it inspires and challenges you as much as it did me.

Fourth Sunday of Easter / May 7, 2017

Gospel: John 10: 1-10

          Have you ever thought what was the most important mission of Jesus on this earth? The gospel today gives us the answer: Jesus came so that we all might have abundant life. Life, not death, is the real passion of Jesus. Bringing life is what moved Jesus’ energies, imagination, and desires. Jesus’ relationships and encounters were always focused on bringing life, awakening life, or restoring life. Bringing life is what made Jesus to reach those who were permanently excluded, abused and rejected. All the words, actions, and decisions of Jesus had this single purpose: to bring abundant life for all.

             Jesus was committed to this mission until the end of his life because he always believed this was the only and authentic will of God: that every person, regardless of their condition, may have abundant life, here and now. The life Jesus loved and promoted is nothing else than a life fully and truly human. Indeed, Jesus, the Logos made flesh that dwelt among us, embraced our humanity and our world and taught us how to transform them for good. Thus, Jesus gave human life a profound meaning: the more human we are by loving one another, the more divine we become; loving one another is the only way to testify our love for God. 

            Jesus loved life and everything that promotes life in all its manifestations more than anything else. The Johannine community who wrote today’s gospel, believed that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life, which simply means: Jesus, with his own life, showed us the way that truly leads to life. Jesus wanted people in love with life, committed to bring life and to restore life wherever it is more necessary. For us today, are we being truly disciples of this Jesus who loved life so passionately and who also sent his disciples (and us) to bring abundant life for all? What are we doing today, here and now, to promote and restore life in all its manifestations so that all those around us may have it abundantly?

                                                                                          - Javier Del Angel De los Santos

Those are good questions for us to ask ourselves in this Easter season and in each season of our lives.

Abundant life and it is ours... a free gift from our loving and generous God!

Today, tomorrow, this week and all the days of our lives may we be people who are life-giving in Jesus our Risen Lord who is the way, the truth and the life.