4th Sunday of Lent: Seeing the Way of Christ
I remember decades ago going out during the middle of the night to observe a meteor shower that was supposed to be especially strong. I went outside looked up, and all I saw was clouds. I was very disappointed.
Until my eyes adjusted to the dark and realized the so called clouds were stars. LOTS of stars. I was seeing the Milky Way for the first time.
I realized I was seeing stars just like our sun and I began to grasp just how huge the universe may be. And how small I was in it.
How we experience and see in situations can change us.
Maybe one of the greater aspects of living in Nevada is the ability to see far.
Unless we have lived in large cities, or the midwest or east, or even next door in California, where the ability to see the horizon is limited by buildings, trees, hills, we can lose the appreciation for that ability to see miles and miles. To see the mountain ranges extend; to see Thunderstorms that are developing over Lee Vining, even though we live in Reno.
Spring is coming to our part of the world. Yes we will be sneezing, but, pay attention to the lilacs that will be bursting after all the moisture.
Walk on the river under the trees, canopied in the green. Watch the cormorants eat my trout from the river.
How we see, truly see, changes us.
There is so much power and elegance to our Catholic Christian Faith.
Power and elegance that’s opens us to the salvation the liberation of Jesus Christ.
There is so much beauty to the way of Jesus Christ and the path he has given to us through our Catholic Faith.
Do we see it? Have we even begun to appreciate it?
Jesus cures a man born blind.
Something amazing! And yet, very few actually see what is going on.
Too many are so focused on getting, getting and getting even more; so scared we might not get what we think we need or deserve. We believe the lie there is NOT Enough!!!!
We poison our air, our water, our food, and too many get sick from cancers and other diseases as a result; and then can’t even begin to pay for treatment. So we authorize laws to kill them, so called mercifully.
Jesus shows us the path to living with and for others, love conquers all fear.
We are free to live more simply, live more generously, live more healthy.
We can get so focused on the me, myself and “I”. We believe the lie that I am the most important person, and I do not need anyone else. And then we wonder why our friendships fade, our marriages dissolve, why we feel so lonely, why we go to drugs, alcohol, certain sites on the internet…
Jesus reveals the power of community, humility, the power of Love. How this frees us to be engaged with others.
We are given the great gift of the Eucharist, each week. The gift to help us see maybe just a bit better. A gift to help us adjust the mind’s eye so as to view all of creation differently; so that we can act differently.
So that we can share God’s mercy, God’s compassion, God’s love..with those in our homes, in our school, and wherever needed.
If we can see the person of Christ in the bread and wine, imagine what else we can see.
Until my eyes adjusted to the dark and realized the so called clouds were stars. LOTS of stars. I was seeing the Milky Way for the first time.
I realized I was seeing stars just like our sun and I began to grasp just how huge the universe may be. And how small I was in it.
How we experience and see in situations can change us.
Maybe one of the greater aspects of living in Nevada is the ability to see far.
Unless we have lived in large cities, or the midwest or east, or even next door in California, where the ability to see the horizon is limited by buildings, trees, hills, we can lose the appreciation for that ability to see miles and miles. To see the mountain ranges extend; to see Thunderstorms that are developing over Lee Vining, even though we live in Reno.
Spring is coming to our part of the world. Yes we will be sneezing, but, pay attention to the lilacs that will be bursting after all the moisture.
Walk on the river under the trees, canopied in the green. Watch the cormorants eat my trout from the river.
How we see, truly see, changes us.
There is so much power and elegance to our Catholic Christian Faith.
Power and elegance that’s opens us to the salvation the liberation of Jesus Christ.
There is so much beauty to the way of Jesus Christ and the path he has given to us through our Catholic Faith.
Do we see it? Have we even begun to appreciate it?
Jesus cures a man born blind.
Something amazing! And yet, very few actually see what is going on.
Look at the responses.
They can’t believe because it doesn’t fit their idea of how the world operates. So they think it’s a doppelganger
They can’t believe because the Law said it can’t happen on a sabbath
They won’t voice their amazement because those with power threaten them.
They won’t believe because to do so threaten their own so called power, their own authority.
There is a saying, I used to think it cute and appropriate: the word Bible means “Basic Instruction before leaving earth”
I now see that this is wrong.
What is our mission, our goal, our purpose. It is not to escape this earth. It is to work for God and transform it. “Basic Instructions for Building the Lord’s earth” is more appropriate.
Jesus shows us the path to live our lives fully, here on earth.
He has shown us how to avoid the great lie, the great deception which leads to chaos, suffering and death.
He shows us Truth that liberates us to make this world a place of unity and harmony
Too many of us persist in our anger; angry at our parents, spouses, children, the politicians, the church, etc. Maybe angry for good reasons after being hurt, maybe for not so good reasons, but staying angry is not a good thing. The lie is that we must be back at others, take our vengeance, we must punish to feel better.
Jesus shows us forgiveness and humility. Do we see how it liberates us to be more engaged? Do we see how it frees us from the hate that can develop?
They can’t believe because it doesn’t fit their idea of how the world operates. So they think it’s a doppelganger
They can’t believe because the Law said it can’t happen on a sabbath
They won’t voice their amazement because those with power threaten them.
They won’t believe because to do so threaten their own so called power, their own authority.
There is a saying, I used to think it cute and appropriate: the word Bible means “Basic Instruction before leaving earth”
I now see that this is wrong.
What is our mission, our goal, our purpose. It is not to escape this earth. It is to work for God and transform it. “Basic Instructions for Building the Lord’s earth” is more appropriate.
Jesus shows us the path to live our lives fully, here on earth.
He has shown us how to avoid the great lie, the great deception which leads to chaos, suffering and death.
He shows us Truth that liberates us to make this world a place of unity and harmony
Too many of us persist in our anger; angry at our parents, spouses, children, the politicians, the church, etc. Maybe angry for good reasons after being hurt, maybe for not so good reasons, but staying angry is not a good thing. The lie is that we must be back at others, take our vengeance, we must punish to feel better.
Jesus shows us forgiveness and humility. Do we see how it liberates us to be more engaged? Do we see how it frees us from the hate that can develop?
Too many are so focused on getting, getting and getting even more; so scared we might not get what we think we need or deserve. We believe the lie there is NOT Enough!!!!
We poison our air, our water, our food, and too many get sick from cancers and other diseases as a result; and then can’t even begin to pay for treatment. So we authorize laws to kill them, so called mercifully.
Jesus shows us the path to living with and for others, love conquers all fear.
We are free to live more simply, live more generously, live more healthy.
We can get so focused on the me, myself and “I”. We believe the lie that I am the most important person, and I do not need anyone else. And then we wonder why our friendships fade, our marriages dissolve, why we feel so lonely, why we go to drugs, alcohol, certain sites on the internet…
Jesus reveals the power of community, humility, the power of Love. How this frees us to be engaged with others.
We are given the great gift of the Eucharist, each week. The gift to help us see maybe just a bit better. A gift to help us adjust the mind’s eye so as to view all of creation differently; so that we can act differently.
So that we can share God’s mercy, God’s compassion, God’s love..with those in our homes, in our school, and wherever needed.
If we can see the person of Christ in the bread and wine, imagine what else we can see.
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