Pdlgrm Path: May 2019

Saturday 25 May 2019

Peace of Christ

The last few weeks have been very full and full of much goodness. Within this fullness there has been demands, pressures and my own expectations not to mention the responsibilities and gift of fraternity. In all of this fullness I have been pondering the unfolding journey and I have been reminded about the gift of peace our Risen Lord offers. The following two prayers come from reflecting on the gift of this peace. May we remember that it always offered to us.

Peace:

always from You

sitting with You

penetrating my core.

Peace:

a gift for me

an awareness of Your spirit

strengthening me.

Peace:

released into freedom

greater than this world

aligning my living in You.

“Peace I leave you. My peace I give you.” (John 14.23-29)

Christ Jesus,

You know I have days of

chaos, uncertainty and frustrations

and you are in these moments with me.

The gift of your peace is wrapped up in your love

poured forth from your heart into my own heart.

Your peace is what produces joy

and walks hand in hand with hope which leads me to life.

For the gift of your peace I give you praise.

Amen.

Lord you call me to be a

vessel of life

vessel of joy

vessel of peace.

You are my strength and my all.

Lord you call me to be a

path to life

path to justice

path to fraternity.

You are my strength and my all.

Lord you call me to

open my heart

open my hands

open my soul.

You are my strength and my all.

Lord you call me

to be one with you

to trust in your way

to let your light penetrate my all.

You are my strength and my all.

Sunday 19 May 2019

To Live in Love

The gospel for this Sunday is Jesus giving us the greatest of commandments: “Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you should love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.” (John 13.34-35) As a Friar about to make his Solemn Vows this speaks to the life I am vowing to live. When St. Francis left his previous life and began his new life of penance it was because he desired to be drawn into Christ. Being drawn into Christ means one must live the gospel and to do this one must love. This is where I am at as I ponder what has been and what is to be.

I have always been in awe of how St. Francis gave up everything and trusted that God was at work in him. His love for the gospel and how it called him to live is the challenge that I (and all Friars and really all Christians) must embrace today. To give up everything and live the gospel means that one is truly living this commandment which Christ gave during that Last Supper. To love another takes a deep trust in God, for we must see that God is present in the other and all of creation. We must let go of our judgments and expectations and simply see them. This is what was awakened in St. Francis and stirred him not to hold on to this life but rather to be consumed with the life of love which is the life of God. As I look ahead and finalize details about vows, pilgrimage, packing and moving I am called back to the commandment of Christ and the witness of St. Francis which calls me to glorify God with my life. Love as challenging as it is, must be present in the simplest of actions as well as the grandest. Love one another so that everyone will know that we are his disciples means I must be aware of my living, my letting go and the way I love.

Over the last ten days I have seen the gift and power of this commandment. I have been part of a Christian-Muslim dialogue, I have led retreats for about one thousand children and have been involved in planning for the year ahead. In all of this there has been this undercurrent which is love. I could not have entered into the Christian-Muslim dialogue if I did not have love. I could not have preached about God’s love to the children if the gospel of love had not touched my heart and found a home there. I could not look ahead to new opportunities and new ministry if I was not being a disciple. I am in awe of God’s love at work always and I am grateful that the commandment of Christ is a daily reminder that my actions and words are to be that of love. I think this is what St. Francis did for he knew the freedom in this and was able to give his all. As a Franciscan I am called to this freedom as I strive to be a brother to all living a universal fraternity, I can only do this if I follow the commandment to love. How about you? How are you called to live the commandment to love?

Saturday 11 May 2019

Hear & Know

This Sunday many people will celebrate their mom and the gift of motherhood. Mother’s Day is a beautiful reminder of goodness, holiness, compassion and life. Mother’s Day calls us to look at the intimacy of love and being known and seen in love.

This Sunday (4^th Sunday of Easter) is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. In the gospel from John (10.27-30) we hear Jesus say, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life.” For Jesus to declare this he had to know love, both that of God and of his mother Mary. Remember at his baptism God declared, “This is my Son, the beloved” and often in his life time he must have heard his name said in love by his mother. Jesus knew what it was like to be known and valued for who he was. It is in the power of relationship that he was able to embrace his life-giving journey and then offer his all for us to receive the maternal gift of God’s embrace known as eternal life.

In pondering the above statement of Jesus I thought, “is this not a most wonderful affirmation from him?” For it is the gift of how intimately close he is to us (like mother holds a child in her womb) always. It is the gift of hearing our name announced and being called love. It is the gift of embracing the resurrection and the life it calls us to. It is the gift of life here and now and also life in the eternal kingdom. Jesus our brother and savior calls us into the kingdom of God and gives us a place of dignity – each one of us.

We are called.

We are chosen.

We are seen.

We are known.

We have a way.

We have life.

We have freedom.

We have paradise.

We know love.

We know the Son.

We know hope.

We know burdens undone.

We are God’s children.

We are held in care.

We are given new life.

We are love to bear.

To all the mothers of the world who call our names in love, show us our dignity and remind us that we are God’s beloved – we say thank you, we love you and ask God to bless you today and always.

Saturday 4 May 2019

Litany of a Resurrection Breakfast Encounter - John 21.1-19

The resurrection occurrences in John’s Gospel are so rich. The scenes in John 21.1-19 are an example of this richness. Here, Peter and the disciples return to fishing – something familiar, always serves as a reminder that Christ comes to us in the ordinary and familiar of our routines to make us new. The invitation of Jesus to “Come and have breakfast” simply is a delight (it is for me). This invitation by our Savior to dine with him on this side of the cross is the gift of his lasting promise and memorial. The Eucharist is the steady invitation to join him again and again and be nourished for the new paths and new realities. Then the thrice questioned Peter about his love awakens us the depth of how intimate Jesus desires to be in our lives. He does not see us by our weakness and sinfulness rather he sees us created in love with the capacity to love and make known his love as we feed his sheep. Peter and disciple’s story intersects with my story; with yours, as our reality is transformed, our invitation to dine with the Bread of Life is real and our call to love is about life here and now not just on a beach by the Sea of Tiberias.

When gathered with those we know and love

When we need our safe familiar ways

When nothing seems to happen