Photo: Container Gardening

 

Literature: Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, The Little Prince

It's madness
to hate all roses
because you got scratched with one thorn,
to give up all dreams
because one of them didn't come true,
to give up all attempts
because one of them failed.
It's folly to condemn all your friends
because one has betrayed you,
to no longer believe in love
just because someone was unfaithful
or didn't love you back,
to throw away all your chances to be happy
because something went wrong.
There will always be another opportunity,
another friend,
another love,
a new strength.
For every end,
there is always a new beginning.....
And now here is my secret,
a very simple secret:
It is only with the heart
that one can see rightly;
what is essential is invisible to the eye."

Photo: New Life

 

Spirituality: David Bohm

As human beings and societies, we seem separate, but in our roots we are part of an indivisible whole and share in the same cosmic process.

Poem: Rainer Maria Rilke, "Sonnets to Orpheus Part One: XXI"

The spring is back. The earth is like a child
who’s learnt a heap of poems off by heart:
so many of them, and how hard she toiled!
But she wins prizes now; she has them pat.

At school, her teacher was a strict old man,
although we liked the whiteness of his beard.
Now, when we ask her please to give a name
to colours green or blue, she knows the word!

Earth, you’re in luck; today’s a holiday.
We children want to catch you; come and play.
Whoever laughs the most will win the game.

Her teacher’s lessons, wearisome and long,
are printed in each root, each stiff, straight stem.
And listen now: she’s turned them into song!

Spirituality: Nan Merrill from "Meditations and Mandalas"

Let us sing to the Creator of the cosmos, to the divine power of love!
When we look at the wondrous display of the heavens,
at the Earth with its infinite variety of life,
Who are we that You love us, that You rejoice in our being;
that You trust us to care for creation in all its splendor,
inviting us to become co-creators with You?
Let us celebrate the mystery of life!
Let us commit our lives to the Divine Plan!

Photo: Blossoms and Sunshine

 

Poem: Give Me Discerning Eyes, Author Unknown, Xavier University website

Almighty God,
author of my life,
help me learn to read
what you have written on my heart.

Give me discerning eyes
and an untiring spirit
to look within me
in order to understand how
to reach outside of me.

And once I have begun
to read you aright,
give me the generosity
to help others to read you,
to sound you out one letter,
one word of radical giving
at a time.

Photo: Purity

 

Poem: William Shakespeare, Lady MacBeth

 "Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow,

Creeps in this petty pace from day to day,

To the last syllable of recorded time;

And all our yesterdays have lighted fools

The way to dusty death. Out, out, brief candle!

Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,

That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,

And then is heard no more. It is a tale

Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing."

A Superabundant God: The Pentecost 2024

                                                         A Superabundant God:

                                                The Pentecost 2024 

May 19, 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Acts 2:1-11; Psalm 104; Galatians 5:16-25; John 15:26-16:15

 

The arrival of the Spirit at Pentecost helps us expand our images of God because if our imaginations are too restrained, our sense of God becomes too small for our souls. Jesus stretched the imaginations of his disciples by framing his preaching with signs of God’s excess. Pentecost is the great moment for believers when we receive God’s extravagance. Consider some of the images Jesus told us about: abundant banquets, anger that gives way to mercy, unrivaled hospitality, the graciousness to receive sinners, tearing down stiff boundaries. God allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust. Today, we must indulge in the unprecedented magnifying of the mystery of God. Pentecost helps us liberate ourselves from our tiny images of God.

 

Think back on those hard to grasp parables in which Jesus challenged our notions of human equivalence. What is this human equivalence? It is when we want fairness for ourselves and justice for others. This notion of equivalence is a product of a small faith that settles for balance in place of boundlessness. When we imagine God to be one of equivalence, we restrict God and make God an extension of our human thinking. God has shown us not to be the small-minded judge whose logic focuses on fairness or when every fault deserves the right type of punishment. Justice produces balance, equivalence, and in this space, nothing is free for others, most especially mercy. Everyone receives according to what each has given. We are unhappy with a small-minded image of God.

 

The God of Pentecost is not the god of fairness but excess. That’s the sort of God we want to know and to praise. God’s unbelievable mercy wrecks the standards we impose upon the way God should operate. God breaks through our barriers constantly. Our souls expand when we are in harmony with God’s superabundance. Like the story of the Prodigal Son, God’s compassion embraces those who have strayed and extends mercy to them long before they return to the fold. Forgiveness is often granted before a confession is made. Suffering is not a punishment for sins but an occasion to let God into the light of rightness. Christians are encouraged to embrace the devotion to the higher rightness of superabundance, rather than to the God of fairness. 

 

To truly praise God, we are encouraged to be open, to be adaptable to change, to move forward and onward so that we see the grace of God operating within the strivings of our day and even in the culture that surrounds us. God’s promise unfolds into the future. All we have is the present moment and the opportunities for future fulfillment. It means to leave the past behind, and for so many, this is difficult to do. We hold ourselves back when we hold onto the past. We limit ourselves. We find reasons why no one should take a chance with us. We keep ourselves buried in an event from the past that shape our self-perception, which amounts to a lack of trust in God and in humanity. We are the only one to hold us back. God wants more for us. We keep the past in the present and we must let Jesus liberate us from that destructive thinking if we cannot do it ourselves. No one wants to keep you from achieving your best possible attainment of a meaningful life. God wants you to succeed, which is the reason we are given the spirit. God wants more. God is the more. 

 

The Holy Spirit is God’s way of giving us this superabundance that we do not deserve, but that’s the type of God we have. We simply must be open to receiving the workings of God in our life, and to express our gratitude. We must actively accept his gift. Parents, teachers, priests, judges, and many other professions often express this gift of excess, and it makes a difference in the life of a person who is seeking a connection with God. God will never hold back. God will fill the cup until it overflows. That is simply the type of God we have. This is the God we celebrate today in this gift of the Spirit. We have a God who is the overflowing presence of goodness. We are blessed indeed. This is a God we want to know more fully. This is a God who we get excited to praise and worship. This is a God who inspires our Easter song: Alleluia. Alleluia.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Genesis 3) After Adam had eaten of the tree, the LORD God called to him and asked him, “Where are you?” He answered, “I heard you in the garden; but I was afraid, because I was naked, so I hid myself.” Then he asked, “Who told you that you were naked? 

 

Tuesday: (James 4) Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

 

Wednesday: (James 4) Instead you should say, "If the Lord wills it, we shall live to do this or that." But now you are boasting in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. So for one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, it is a sin.

 

Thursday: (James 5) Come now, you rich, weep and wail over your impending miseries. Your wealth has rotted away, your clothes have become moth-eaten, your gold and silver have corroded, and that corrosion will be a testimony against you; it will devour your flesh like a fire.

 

Friday (James 5) Do not complain, brothers and sisters, about one another, that you may not be judged. Behold, the Judge is standing before the gates. Take as an example of hardship and patience, brothers and sisters, the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

 

Saturday (James 5) Is anyone among you suffering? He should pray. Is anyone in good spirits? He should sing a song of praise. Is anyone among you sick? He should summon the presbyters of the Church, and they should pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 19) When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple there whom he loved, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then he said to the disciple,  “Behold, your mother.”

 

Tuesday: (Mark 9) They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, he began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?” But they remained silent. For they had been discussing among themselves on the way who was the greatest.

 

Wednesday (Mark 9) "Teacher, we saw someone driving out demons in your name, and we tried to prevent him because he does not follow us." Jesus replied, "Do not prevent him. There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me.

 

Thursday (Mark 9) Jesus said to his disciples: "Anyone who gives you a cup of water to drink because you belong to Christ, amen, I say to you, will surely not lose his reward

 

Friday (Mark 10) The Pharisees approached him and asked, "Is it lawful for a husband to divorce his wife?" They were testing him. He said to them in reply, "What did Moses command you?" They replied, "Moses permitted a husband to write a bill of divorce
and dismiss her." But Jesus told them, "Because of the hardness of your hearts he wrote you this commandment.

 

Saturday (Mark 10) When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these.

 

Saints of the Week

 

May 20: Bernardine of Siena, priest, (1380-1444) was from a family of nobles who cared for the sick during plagues. He entered the Franciscans and preached across northern and central Italy with homilies that understood the needs of the laity. He became vicar general and instituted reforms. 

 

May 21: Christopher Magallanes, priest and companions, martyrs (1869-1927) was a Mexican priest who served the indigenous people by forming agrarian communities. He opened seminaries when the ant-Catholic government kept shutting them down. He was arrested and executed with 21 priests and 3 laymen. 

 

May 22: Rita of Cascia, religious (1381-1457), always wanted to become a nun but her family married her off to an abusive man. He was murdered 18 years later. Rita urged forgiveness when her two sons wanted to avenge their father's murder. They soon died too. Rita wanted to enter a convent, but he marital status kept her out. Eventually, the Augustinians in Cascia admitted her. She became a mystic and counselor to lay visitors.

 

May 24: Our Lady of the Way or in Italian, Madonna della Strada, is a painting enshrined at the Church of the Gesu in Rome, the mother church of the Society of Jesus. The Madonna Della Strada is the patroness of the Society of Jesus. In 1568, Cardinal Farnese erected the Gesu in place of the former church of Santa Maria della Strada.  

 

May 25: Bede the Venerable, priest and doctor, (673-735), is the only English doctor of the church. As a child, he was sent to a Benedictine monastery where he studied theology and was ordained. He wrote thorough commentaries on scripture and history as well as poetry and biographies. His famous work is the "Ecclesiastical History of the English People," the source for much of Anglo-Saxon history. 

 

May 25: Gregory VII, pope (1020-1085), was a Tuscan who was sent to a monastery to study under John Gratian, who became Gregory VI. He served the next few popes as chaplain, treasurer, chancellor and counselor before he became Gregory VII. He introduced strong reforms over civil authorities that caused much consternation. Eventually, the Romans turned against him when the Normans sacked Rome.

 

May 25: Mary Magdalene de'Pazzi (1566-1607), a Florentine, chose to become a Carmelite nun instead of getting married. Her biography, written by her confessor, gives accounts of intense bouts of desolation and joy. She is reputed to have gifts of prophecy and healing.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• May 19, 1652. Birth of Paul Hoste mathematician and expert on construction of ships and history of naval warfare. 
• May 20, 1521. Ignatius was seriously wounded at Pamplona, Spain, while defending its fortress against the French. 
• May 21, 1925. Pius XI canonizes Peter Canisius, with Teresa of the Child Jesus, Mary Madeleine Postal, Madeleine Sophie Barat, John Vianney, and John Eudes. Canisius is declared a Doctor of the Church. 
• May 22, 1965. Pedro Arrupe was elected the 28th general of the Society of Jesus. 
• May 23, 1873. The death of Peter de Smet, a famous missionary among Native Americans of the great plains and mountains of the United States. He served as a mediator and negotiator of several treaties. 
• May 24, 1834. Don Pedro IV expelled the Society from Brazil. 
• May 25, 1569. At Rome Pope St Pius V installed the Society in the College of Penitentiaries. Priests of various nationalities who were resident in Rome were required to act as confessors in St Peter's. 

 

 

Un Dios Superabundante: El Pentecostés 2024

Un Dios Superabundante:

El Pentecostés 2024

19 de mayo de 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

predmoresj@yahoo.com | 617.510.9673

Hechos 2:1-11; Salmo 104; Gálatas 5:16-25; Juan 15:26-16:15

 

La llegada del Espíritu en Pentecostés nos ayuda a ampliar nuestras imágenes de Dios porque si nuestra imaginación está demasiado restringida, nuestro sentido de Dios se vuelve demasiado pequeño para nuestras almas. Jesús estiró la imaginación de sus discípulos al enmarcar su predicación con señales del exceso de Dios. Pentecostés es el gran momento para los creyentes cuando recibimos la extravagancia de Dios. Considere algunas de las imágenes de las que Jesús nos habló: abundantes banquetes, ira que da paso a la misericordia, hospitalidad incomparable, la gracia de recibir a los pecadores, derribando fronteras rígidas. Dios permite que la lluvia caiga sobre justos e injustos. Hoy debemos permitirnos una magnificación sin precedentes del misterio de Dios. Pentecostés nos ayuda a liberarnos de nuestras pequeñas imágenes de Dios.

 

Piense en esas parábolas difíciles de comprender en las que Jesús desafió nuestras nociones de equivalencia humana. Queremos justicia para nosotros mismos y justicia para los demás. Esta noción de equivalencia es producto de una pequeña fe que se conforma con el equilibrio en lugar de lo ilimitado. Dios nos ha mostrado que no somos jueces mezquinos cuya lógica se centra en la justicia y que cada falta merece el tipo correcto de castigo. La justicia produce equilibrio. Nada es gratis para los demás y cada uno recibe según lo que cada uno ha dado.

 

El Dios de Pentecostés no es el dios de la justicia sino del exceso. La increíble misericordia de Dios arruina los estándares que imponemos sobre la forma en que Dios debería operar. Dios rompe nuestras barreras constantemente. Nuestras almas se expanden cuando estamos en sintonía con la sobreabundancia de Dios. Al igual que la historia del Hijo Pródigo, la compasión de Dios abraza a aquellos que se han extraviado y les extiende misericordia mucho antes de que regresen al redil. A menudo el perdón se concede antes de hacer la confesión. El sufrimiento no es un castigo por los pecados, sino una ocasión para dejar que Dios entre en la luz de la justicia. Se anima a los cristianos a abrazar la devoción a la justicia superior de la superabundancia, en lugar del Dios de la justicia.

 

Para hacerlo, se nos anima a estar abiertos, a adaptarnos al cambio, a avanzar cada vez más para que veamos la gracia de Dios operando en los esfuerzos de nuestros días e incluso en la cultura que nos rodea. La promesa de Dios se desarrolla hacia el futuro. Todo lo que tenemos es el momento presente y las oportunidades de realización futura. Significa dejar atrás el pasado y, para muchos, esto es difícil de lograr. Nos reprimimos cuando nos aferramos al pasado. Nos limitamos. Encontramos razones por las que nadie debería arriesgarse con nosotros. Nos mantenemos enterrados en un acontecimiento del pasado que moldea nuestra autopercepción, lo que equivale a una falta de confianza en Dios y en la humanidad. Mantenemos el pasado en el presente y debemos dejar que Jesús nos libere de ese pensamiento destructivo si no podemos hacerlo nosotros mismos. Nadie quiere impedirle alcanzar el mejor logro posible de una vida significativa. Dios quiere que tengas éxito, y es por eso que se nos da el espíritu.

 

Este Espíritu Santo es del Dios de la sobreabundancia que no merecemos, pero ese es el tipo de Dios que tenemos. Simplemente debemos estar abiertos a la obra de Dios en nuestra vida y expresar nuestra gratitud. Los padres, maestros, sacerdotes y muchas otras profesiones a menudo expresan este don del exceso, y marca la diferencia en la vida de una persona que busca una conexión con Dios. Dios nunca se detendrá. Dios llenará la copa hasta que rebose. Ese es simplemente el tipo de Dios que tenemos. Este es el Dios que celebramos hoy en este don del Espíritu. Tenemos un Dios que es la presencia rebosante de bondad. Estamos realmente bendecidos.

 

Escritura para la misa diaria

Lunes: (Génesis 3) Después de que Adán hubo comido del árbol, el Señor Dios lo llamó y le preguntó: “¿Dónde estás?” Él respondió: “Te oí en el jardín; pero tuve miedo, porque estaba desnudo, y me escondí. Luego preguntó: “¿Quién te dijo que estabas desnudo?

 

Martes: (Santiago 4) ¿ De dónde vienen las guerras y de dónde vienen los conflictos entre vosotros? ¿No sabéis que ser amante del mundo significa enemistad con Dios? Por tanto, el que quiere ser amante del mundo se hace enemigo de Dios.

 

Miércoles: (Santiago 4) En lugar de eso, deberías decir: "Si el Señor quiere, viviremos para hacer esto o aquello". Pero ahora te jactas de tu arrogancia. Toda esa jactancia es mala. Entonces, para aquel que sabe hacer lo correcto y no lo hace, es pecado.

 

Jueves: (Santiago 5 ) Venid ahora, ricos, llorad y lamentad por vuestras miserias inminentes. Vuestras riquezas se han podrido, vuestras ropas se han apolillado, vuestro oro y vuestra plata se han corroído, y esa corrosión será un testimonio contra vosotros; devorará tu carne como un fuego.

 

Viernes (Santiago 5) No os quejéis, hermanos, unos de otros, para que no seáis juzgados. He aquí, el Juez está delante de las puertas. Tomad como ejemplo de dificultad y paciencia, hermanos, a los profetas que hablaron en el nombre del Señor.

 

Sábado (Santiago 5 ) ¿Está alguno entre vosotros sufriendo? Debería orar. ¿Alguien está de buen humor? Debería cantar un canto de alabanza. Hay alguno entre ustedes que esté enfermo? Deberá convocar a los presbíteros de la Iglesia, y ellos deberán orar por él y ungirlo con aceite en el nombre del Señor.

 

Evangelio: 

Lunes: (Juan 19) Cuando Jesús vio allí a su madre y al discípulo a quien amaba, dijo a su madre: “Mujer, ahí tienes a tu hijo”. Luego dijo al discípulo: “ He aquí tu madre”.

 

Martes: (Marcos 9) Llegaron a Cafarnaúm y, una vez dentro de la casa, comenzó a preguntarles: “¿De qué discutían en el camino?” Pero ellos guardaron silencio. Porque en el camino habían estado discutiendo entre ellos quién era el mayor.

 

Miércoles (Marcos 9) "Maestro, vimos a alguien expulsando demonios en tu nombre, y tratamos de impedírselo porque no nos sigue". Jesús respondió: "No se lo impidáis. Nadie que hace un milagro en mi nombre puede al mismo tiempo hablar mal de mí.

 

Jueves (Marcos 9) Jesús dijo a sus discípulos: "Cualquiera que os dé a beber un vaso de agua porque sois de Cristo, de cierto os digo que no perderá su recompensa".

 

Viernes (Marcos 10) Los fariseos se acercaron a él y le preguntaron: "¿Es lícito al marido repudiar a su mujer?" Lo estaban poniendo a prueba. Él les respondió: "¿Qué os mandó Moisés?" Ellos respondieron: "Moisés permitió que un marido redactara una carta de divorcio 
y la despidiera". Pero Jesús les dijo: "Por la dureza de vuestro corazón os escribió este mandamiento.

 

Sábado (Marcos 10) Al ver esto Jesús se indignó y les dijo: “Dejen que los niños vengan a mí; no se lo impidáis, porque de los que son como éstos es el Reino de Dios.

 

Santos de la semana

 

20 de mayo: Bernardino de Siena, sacerdote, (1380-1444) era de una familia de nobles que cuidaba a los enfermos durante las plagas. Ingresó a los franciscanos y predicó en el norte y centro de Italia con homilías que entendían las necesidades de los laicos. Se convirtió en vicario general e instituyó reformas.

 

21 de mayo: Cristóbal Magallanes, sacerdote y compañeros, mártires (1869-1927) fue un sacerdote mexicano que sirvió a los indígenas formando comunidades agrarias. Abrió seminarios cuando el gobierno anticatólico seguía cerrándolos. Fue arrestado y ejecutado junto con 21 sacerdotes y 3 laicos.

 

22 de mayo: Rita de Casia, religiosa (1381-1457), siempre quiso ser monja pero su familia la casó con un hombre abusivo. Fue asesinado 18 años después. Rita pidió perdón cuando sus dos hijos quisieron vengar el asesinato de su padre. Pronto ellos también murieron. Rita quería ingresar a un convento, pero su estado civil se lo impidió. Finalmente, los agustinos de Casia la admitieron. Se convirtió en mística y consejera de los visitantes laicos.

 

24 de mayo: Nuestra Señora del Camino o en italiano, Madonna della Strada, es una pintura consagrada en la Iglesia del Gesu en Roma, la iglesia madre de la Compañía de Jesús. La Madonna Della Strada es la patrona de la Compañía de Jesús. En 1568, el cardenal Farnese erigió el Gesu en lugar de la antigua iglesia de Santa Maria della Strada.

 

25 de mayo: Beda el Venerable, sacerdote y médico, (673-735), es el único médico inglés de la iglesia. Cuando era niño, fue enviado a un monasterio benedictino donde estudió teología y fue ordenado sacerdote. Escribió comentarios exhaustivos sobre las Escrituras y la historia, así como poesía y biografías. Su famosa obra es la "Historia eclesiástica del pueblo inglés", la fuente de gran parte de la historia anglosajona.

 

25 de mayo: Gregorio VII, papa (1020-1085), fue un toscano que fue enviado a un monasterio para estudiar con Juan Graciano, quien se convirtió en Gregorio VI. Sirvió a los siguientes papas como capellán, tesorero, canciller y consejero antes de convertirse en Gregorio VII. Introdujo fuertes reformas sobre las autoridades civiles que causaron mucha consternación. Finalmente, los romanos se volvieron contra él cuando los normandos saquearon Roma.

 

25 de mayo: María Magdalena de'Pazzi (1566-1607), florentina, elige convertirse en monja carmelita en lugar de casarse. Su biografía, escrita por su confesor, relata intensos episodios de desolación y alegría. Tiene fama de tener dones de profecía y curación.

 

Esta semana en la historia jesuita

 

• 19 de mayo de 1652. Nace Paul Hoste , matemático y experto en construcción de barcos e historia de la guerra naval.
• 20 de mayo de 1521. Ignacio resultó gravemente herido en Pamplona, España, mientras defendía su fortaleza contra los franceses.
• 21 de mayo de 1925. Pío XI canoniza a Pedro Canisio, con Teresa del Niño Jesús, María Magdalena Postal, Magdalena Sofía Barat, Juan Vianney y Juan Eudes . Canisio es declarado Doctor de la Iglesia.
• 22 de mayo de 1965. Pedro Arrupe es elegido general 28 de la Compañía de Jesús.
• 23 de mayo de 1873. Muerte de Peter de Smet, un famoso misionero entre los nativos americanos de las grandes llanuras y montañas de los Estados Unidos. Se desempeñó como mediador y negociador de varios tratados.
• 24 de mayo de 1834. Don Pedro IV expulsa a la Sociedad del Brasil.
• 25 de mayo de 1569. En Roma el Papa San Pío V instaló la Sociedad en el Colegio de Penitenciarios. Los sacerdotes de diversas nacionalidades que residían en Roma debían actuar como confesores en San Pedro.

  

Photo: The Dry and Dusty Road

 

Prayer: Columba

Alone with none but you, my God, I journey on my way. What need I fear, when you are near, O King of night and day? More safe am I within your hand than if a host did round me stand.

Photo: Swirls

 

Spirituality: Alfred North Whitehead

Religion will not regain its old power until it can face change in the same spirit as does science. Its principles may be eternal, but the expression of those principles requires continual development.

Photo: Happy Mother's Day

 

Prayer: Happy Mother's Day

 It is easy for a person to imagine holding a newborn infant in one's arms - to feel the tiny body, to smell the freshness of the skin, to put one's finger in the baby's hands, to hear the gurgle in the stomach, to kiss the tiny cheeks. It is easy to bring the infant to your chest and to know the heartbeat connects with heartbeat. One can just look at the infant and gasp in wonder. You have the most beautiful face and I will spend hours gazing upon you in wonder and admiration. Time passes and you are caught up in mystery.

Imagine now your birth. Imagine that you are the one held, cherished, and admired. Consider the exhaustion of your mother and her loving gaze as she holds you for the first time. Imagine your father's feelings as he receives you into his arms. Allow yourself to be held with their joy and expectation for your presence, for your future. Soak in the love your parents gave you as you entered this world. Just allow yourself to be held in awe and love. 

Spirituality: Maya Angelou in "Wouldn't Take Nothing for my Journey Now"

Because of the routines we follow, we often forget that life is an ongoing adventure...and the sooner we realize that, the quicker we will be able to treat life as art: to bring all our energies to each encounter, to remain flexible enough to notice and admit when what we expected to happen did not happen. We need to remember that we are created creative...

Photo: Nearing the Weekend

 

Prayer: John Chrysostom

Our soul should be directed in God, not merely when we suddenly think of prayer, but even when we are concerned with something else. If we are looking after the poor, if we are busy in some other way, or if we are doing any type of good work, we should season our actions with the desire and the remembrance of God.

Photo: Three Boats in a Harbor

 

Spirituality: Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, S.J.

I believe that the universe is in evolution, I believe that evolution proceeds toward spirit, I believe that spirit is fully realized in a form of personality, I believe that the supremely personal is the universal Christ.

The Unity of Love: The Seventh Sunday of Easter 2024

                                                                The Unity of Love:

The Seventh Sunday of Easter 2024 

May 12, 2024

www.johnpredmoresj.com | predmore.blogspot.com

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Acts 1:15-26; Psalm 103; 1 John 4:11-16; John 17:11-19

 

The Acts of the Apostles tell us how the Holy Spirit filled the vacancy on the Twelve Tribes of Jacob by selecting Matthias as a man who was with Jesus from the very beginning. The unity among this deliberative body upon which the church would be built was restored. Unity is a primary value and virtue of the church, and the Gospel makes that clear by appealing to the unity of believers. Jesus prayed that we may be one just as he is one with the Father. How would we assess our unity as a community?

 

We know that within our nations we have political divisions and culture wars, and some among us decide to firm up positions at the expense of taking the other position down and crushing it. That’s the goal and hope, though not the reality. We are passionate about our political parties and the conclusions we have reached, and once we have decided upon an idea, we adhere to our absolute rightness and someone else’s wrongness. We get most of our ideas from sound bites and headlines without digging down deeper into underlying causes of contemporary issues. We exist in a culture of superficiality of texts and tweets, and yet, we know, it is not the way for peace, serenity, or solving problems.

 

We also note there are distinct ways of thinking about the church. For many, Pope Francis is a relief. He is a Pope of Vatican II, and he is the Pope that introduced Jesuit and Ignatian Spirituality to the church. He is the one who is courageous to pray for peace, for the poor and the vulnerable, including the environment, and for hospitality for those who love God and feel excluded. For a small but very vocal group, he is a demon, the anti-Christ, the destroyer of the faith, if you entertain yourself by reading comments at the end of articles about how the church operates in the world today. Hold whatever positions you have, but I have a question: what does unity look like today? How am I contributing to the church’s unity?

 

If we are a people who value unity as Jesus asks, then I have to assess how I can think and feel with the church when I don’t understand it. If I am disinclined to like Pope Francis, do I even try to understand his thinking? Or am I smarter than the Pope and I’m waiting for him to follow my position or leave his ministry altogether? Do I try to pray for him with genuine affection? Do I do the hard work of trying to understand the church’s goals about the Synod, or do I dismiss it as irrelevant and misguided and a short-term project that is soon to die out? 

 

What does Jesus want from us and how does his unity look like? Do I do my best to love the leader of our church, or the local pastor, or the people in the pews? It comes down to the fundamental attitudes I choose to adopt. Am I living in a culture of superficiality, or will I make the difficult commitment to try to love more authentically? Last week, we heard the command of Jesus to love one another. This was not an invitation, and it was not a subtle suggestion. If we are to be an authentic disciple, we are to choose to love, a daily choice, to choose to learn, a choice to build up and to encourage, a choice to put on the best face each day, a choice to give the best positive regard as possible, a choice to grow in wisdom and understanding, a choice to stand by in steadfast support, a choice to grow in compassion and affection.

 

The sign of a Christian is our growing ability to love in freedom. When we receive the love of Christ, we naturally grow in love and appreciation. As we love one another, we find our joy becomes complete. It is always the right time to step back and assess where our growing edges need to be softened. Let us show one another, and Pope Francis, our affection by praying for one another as we await Christ’s sending the Holy Spirit into our hearts and minds, to guide us, to shape us, to increase our charity. Our world belongs to the Holy Spirit. May our hearts and minds rise up to the Spirit’s so that we mingle in this unitive joy. May the Spirit teach us just how superabundant this love is, and what power love can accomplish. Love is the most powerful and still the most unknown energy of the world.

 

Scripture for Daily Mass

Monday: (Acts 19) Paul went through the interior of Greece and down to Ephesus to introduce the believers to the Holy Spirit. The community was baptized into the Body of Christ.  

 

Tuesday: (Acts 20) The presbyters at Ephesus summoned Paul, who told them that he was going to an uncertain fate in Jerusalem. Paul recounts the ways he served the Lord with humility, tears, and trials, but imprisonment and hardships await him. 

 

Wednesday: (Acts 20) Paul prays for the whole flock and he prays for them because he knows adversaries will take advantage of Paul’s absence. When Paul finished speaking, the people wept loudly and threw their arms around him and kissed him.  

 

Thursday: (Acts 22) Paul is brought to trial. The Pharisees and Sadducees are sharply divided; armed forces rescue Paul from their midst. The Lord tells Paul he must go to Rome and be faithful there the same way he was faithful in Jerusalem.  

 

Friday (Acts 25) King Agrippa hears Paul’s case and determines that Paul is to be tried in Jerusalem, but Paul, as a Roman citizen, appeals for the Emperor’s decision.  

 

Saturday (Acts 28) When Paul entered Rome, he was allowed to live by himself. He called together the leaders of the Jews to let them know the charges brought against them. He told them his story. He remained for two years in his lodgings and received all who came to him without hindrance as he proclaimed the Kingdom of God.

 

Gospel: 

Monday: (John 16) The disciples realize Jesus is returning to the Father and that he is strengthening them for the time when he will not longer be physically with them.  

 

Tuesday: (John 17) Jesus raises his eyes to heaven and realizes it is time to glorify the Father through his death so he may give eternal life to all that we given to him. He revealed God’s name to them and now it is time to see the glory of God revealed.

 

Wednesday (John 17) Jesus prays for the safety of those given to him. He wants them to be safe as they testify to God’s steadfastness in a harsh world. He prays for unity, “so that they may be one just as we, Father, are one.” 

 

Thursday (John 17) Jesus consecrates them to the truth and wards off the Evil One. He also prays for those given to him through the testimony of others. The love Jesus and the Father share is available to future disciples. 

 

Friday (John 21) After the Farewell Discourse ends, Jesus appears at the seashore with Simon Peter who professes his three-fold love of Jesus. Jesus forgives him and asks him to care for his people even though the authorities of this world will eventually have their day with him. 

 

Saturday (John 21) Peter turns to Jesus and asks about the Beloved Disciple. Jesus retorts, “What if I want him to remain until I come? What concern is it of yours?” This disciple is the one who wrote the testimony about Jesus and can attest to its truth.

 

Saints of the Week

 

May 12: Nereus and Achilleus, martyrs (early second century), were Roman Imperial soldiers who converted to Christianity. They left the army and were martyred when they refused to sacrifice to idols during Emperor Trajan's reign.

 

May 12: Pancras, martyr, (d. 304)was a Syrian orphan who was brought to Rome by his uncle. Both soon after converted to Christianity. Pancras was beheaded at age 14 during the Diocletian persecution and buried on the Via Aurelia. A cemetery was named after him, but his remains were sent to Northumbria in England where six churches are dedicated to him.

 

May 13: Our Lady of Fatima is a name given to Mary after she appeared to three shepherd children in Fatima, Portugal between May 13 and October 13, 1917. During her appearances, Mary stressed the importance of repentance, ongoing conversion, and dedicated to the heart of Mary through praying the Rosary. 

 

May 14: Matthias, Apostle (first century) was chosen after the resurrection to replace Judas who committed suicide. In the Acts of the Apostles, Peter, quoting a psalm, told 120 people who gathered that they were to choose a new apostle - someone who had been with them from the baptism of Jesus until the resurrection. Two names were put forward and the assembly cast lots. Matthias was chosen.

 

May 15: Isidore (1070-1130), was born in Madrid to a family of farm laborers. With his wife, he worked on an estate and became known for his piety and generosity. His remains are the cause of several miracles most notably the cure of King Philip III who became his sponsor for canonization. 

 

May 16: Andrew Bobola, S.J., priest martyr (1591-1657), is called the Martyr of Poland because of his excruciatingly painful death. He worked during a plague to care for the sick, but he became "wanted" by the Cossacks during a time when anti-Catholic and anti-Jesuit sentiment was high. His preaching converted whole villages back to Catholicism and he was hunted down because he was termed a "soul-hunter."

 

May 18: John I, pope and martyr (d. 526), was a Tuscan who became pope under the rule of Theodoric the Goth, an Arian. Theodoric opposed Emperor Justin I in Constantinople who persecuted Arians. John was sent to Justin to end the persecutions. He returned to great glory, but Theodoric was not satisfied, though Justin met all his demands. John was imprisoned and soon died because of ill treatment.

 

This Week in Jesuit History

 

• May 12,1981. A letter of this date, from Secretary of State, Cardinal Casaroli, speaks positively of Teilhard de Chardin in celebration of the centenary of his birth (May 1,1881). 
• May 13, 1572. Election of Gregory XIII to succeed St Pius V. To him the Society owes the foundation of the Roman and German Colleges. 
• May 14, 1978. Letter of Pedro Arrupe to the whole Society on Inculturation. 
• May 15, 1815. Readmission of the Society into Spain by Ferdinand VII. The members of the Society were again exiled on July 31, 1820. 
• May 16, 1988. In Paraguay, Pope John Paul II canonizes Roque Gonzalez, Alfonso Rodriguez, and Juan del Castillo. 
• May 17, 1572. Pope Gregory XIII exempted the Society from choir and approved simple vows after two years of novitiate and ordination before solemn profession. In these matters he reversed a decree of St Pius V. 
• May 18, 1769. The election of Cardinal Lorenzo Ganganelli as Pope Clement XIV. He was the pope who suppressed the Society.