Living the best life - ours!

Wednesday of 11th week/OT: Daily Readings

Today, the Gospel makes me aware that Jesus is looking for something specific in my life: good fruits. This is why He came, this is what He wants from us: that we may produce fruits.

He is pointing at something that must have been quite common to the hearers of this message. Maybe He was pointing at the bushes as He was talking.

Something that is also common for us today - not everything that shines is gold. If we want to find out if something is valuable, is real we have to take a closer look, a much closer look.

We are too blinded, nowadays, by too many choices. When I go shopping, I am amazed how many type of the same thing is available. Sometimes, even the box or the container looks alike: the cheap version next to the better one. Even commercial confuse us: you buy the cheap stuff, put it into a fancy container and, voila', it's like magic: everything is the same. But, is it?

We know it's not the same but we are attracted by the savings. I wonder if after a time of using the cheap stuff we may even grow convinced that it's just as good as the other.

We do the same in our spiritual life. Our Christian lives is getting filled with "generic" alternatives and we have grown convinced that "it's all the same."

Jesus doesn't seem to be thinking i the same lines. When it comes to our lives, He is not willing to accept "generic" fruits but the best fruits. Look alike are not welcome. And, though we may fool our guest when we show them generic stuff into fancy containers, we can't fool Him.

The first reading seems to contain the answer to the question: what can I do so that I may start producing the best fruits ever? They "find" the book of the law of God. They really didn't lose it, they just forgotten it was there: they had grown so accustom to their own things that the Word of the Lord remained stored.

It happens with us as well; sometimes we are so used to going to Mass, to hear the readings and the homily that we don't even pay attention anymore. And our spiritual lives start deteriorating as we continue to find new ways to justify our behavior: I can go late or leave early because God understands me.

We need to rediscover the role of the Word of God in our lives. We must reclaim the effects that the Word has in our lives. We must welcome and celebrate God's Word because when we live the Gospel we live our true life, we live ourselves. And a life fully lived is what God really wants from us.

Living the Gospel will allow to produce the best fruits my life can produce. Who wouldn't want that? Who would settle for a life lived in a "generic" way. This is the only life I am going to live here, shouldn't I expect the best? By living the gospel I will live the best possible life I can live: my own.

This is worth doing!

Can we really "not judge?"

Monday of 12th week/OT: Daily Readings

Every once in a while this passages comes up, and whether I like it or not I have to live it out. Every time I read it and meditate upon these wonderful words of Jesus, I shiver and their depths. And I understand how easily they can be misunderstood.

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged." Sharp saying, I know. But I am asking myself "can we really live by these words? Can we live a life without judging ourselves and others? Would this lead to chaos? anarchy? A society where everything goes and nothing can be forbidden?

We experience judgement. When I was a teacher I had to "judge" my students if they were able to go to the next level. Based on my "judgments" the principal of the school "judged" me if I should return to the school the upcoming year. Judgement is all around. What are we to do: avoid it?

I have to be honest. I do not like to be judged but I catch myself over and over judging others. At times, when I hear people saying that they are not judgmental I realize that what they really are after is not to be judged.

First of all, to judge means to pass on a sentence. It has a juridical tone which makes us "THE" judge of the situation. We tend, after we judge someone, to put that person in a "box." This is waht we are not supposed to do. We cannot treat the other as though we are the judge, the measure by which everybody else must be evaluated against.

When we judge in this way, we tend to consider the other only superficially, looking at the external. It's very shallow.

We are called to call out evil when we encounter it, to denounce subjective" truths (as in "It's wrong because I think it's wrong," and "it's right because I think it's right, or because i like it."). If someone is making the wrong choice, we are called to alert, to support, and to motivate the person so that better choices can be made.

This requires something more from me. It requires that I "enter" into the others, look at what is in their hearts, what motivates, what inspires their actions.

Firstly, I have to appreciate the other's "otherness." People are different than me. Sometimes, some people inspire "judgment" because they are too different. It's not their problems, I have to admit; it is I who has a problem accepting other ways of doing things.

I have to understand why they are doing what they are doing: what is in their hearts. Sometimes people do things because they really think it's right. With love, I can help them to go beyond what they think and see if there are other ways of looking at the same reality. In our culture, we are not taught how to think and many believe that they are correct only because they are louder or make fun of others.

I can evaluate or judge as long as I do not become "the ultimate judge." I will not be silent about what's wrong and I will do my best to help others to understand the issues rather than placing them into "judgment boxes."

Seed Life: Extravagant Prayer

Thursday of XI/OT: Daily Readings

Yesterday, the Word challenged me to take a look at the hidden part of my life - the part that includes my relationship with God who is the Great Motivator of all I do. Today, I take another plunge into this relationship. Jesus talks about Prayer. But He adds something that I always found puzzling: forgiveness.

Prayer has always been something that I found myself attracted to and yet incredibly frustrating about. Listening to Jesus talking about prayer always opens my eyes. It's not about "talking." It includes it, of course. But ultimately it's about "loving each other."

I wonder: would our relationships survive or grow stronger if we would apply to them the way we relate to God? I mean, I imagine if I were married. After a full day of work, I go home and instead of spending time with my spouse I would simply do five minutes of talking - doing all the talking - and most of this time was spent asking her for what I need. How long would my marriage last? Then, how can we expect that our relationship with God grow when we relate to Him in the same way: a couple of minutes each day, doing all the talking, asking Him for what we need. 

Other people think that Prayer is about a relaxation technique: it's all about being quiet, peaceful and relaxed. Again: would it work if I would relate to my spouse only in this way? After a full day, I go back home and instead of talking to her, I sit in front of her, take deep breath and quiet myself down. After a couple of minutes of this, I go one and continue with my life.

We need to do some serious thinking about what Prayer is about. I need to become a real man of prayer, a man who lives in union with God, knowing that He lives in me.

Why, then forgiveness? It makes sense! True prayer begins when we understand who we are. As Christians who have been baptized we know that Christ now dwells in us and we in Him. We share each other's lives. But, the same Christ who lives in me also lives in the other. If we are honest, when we get into an argument with another, or even when we take it too far and we cannot forgive, our union with Christ is impacted by this. There is an impediment in us, prayer becomes "difficult" because we cannot love Christ who is in the other. Therefore, we find difficult to raise our minds and hearts to Him.

Once we forgive the other, we re establish union and the Love that has been poured out into our hearts continues to flow. Seems easy! But it's not. That's why I have to remain focused on making sure that Christ in me continues to "grow." My daily "mortification" are not done to put myself down or deny myself of something. They are done so that Jesus may live in me. And I want Him to love everyone I meet.

Seed life: Healthy roots

Wednesday of XI / OT: Daily readings

The Gospel seems to highlight a precious part of our life, probably one that we do not pay much attention: the "hidden" life. Like the seed, that once is planted spends most of its life hidden in the ground so is my relationship with God is fostered and nurtured in the "hidden" room. And it is here, in this "hidden" part, that the great miracle happens.

Our society values the extroverted dimension of life: we share our thoughts, change our status on our social network pages, get tweets so that we let people know immediately what is going on with us. Nowadays, whenever we are asked to be quiet and introverted, meditative, we struggle as fish outside water.

Today, I feel invited by the Father to return to the "hidden" room, making sure that I can be my truer self, knowing that He is watching me. And God values more what goes on here, in teh secret room of my heart, because what He really cares about is.. me. Just like a plant, in order to be healthy, has to have good roots able to support the stem, I have to make sure that my "hidden" life is strong enough. The risk is evident: I can become a hypocrite, one who pretends to be someone who is not. Yuck!

The eyes of the Lover are not far from where the Beloved is. The Father is always looking at us, not scrutinizing us or controlling us, but with loving gaze. He looks at us in order to find the truth. By allowing God to see my heart, I grow in freedom; I am free to be who I am, to acknowledge my shortcomings and be able to do something about it. 

I know how I can take care of my "hidden" life. Fasting, alms giving and prayer. It's a three-part movement towards wholeness and holiness. I take something from myself in order to give it to another. It can be the temptation of saying "the last word," the unkind gesture or look, or even time that I wanted to use for myself. I give it to the other out of love. In doing so, I love Jesus in the other, turning everything into small acts of love for Him. 

This is the time when I become more transparent with the Father who sees what's in my heart. 

Seed Life: Being "unusual"

Tuesday of XI / OT: Daily Readings. 

Ah, the life of a seed! Full of potential, ever ready to bring forth life.
The challenge we received this week is to live our lives by going against the current that tells us that we are always "number one." Really? How many "#1" can there really be? Isn't this a set up for great conflicts? Of course it is.

Meditating on the mustard seed, allows me to approach life with humility, the virtue that most of all allows us all to grow because it makes us aware that we are part of a greater whole - the world.

Humility allows the voice of Jezebel (see yesterday's meditation) to remain quiet. It forces us to work against the need we seem to have to put ourselves always in front, manipulate others so that they do what we want, give us what we want. Humility allows me to open myself to the other and respect him or her, value him or her for who truly is: a child of God.

Humility allows me to understand that "unusual" element that Christianity brings into the world. Jesus said: "If you behave like any other, what is unusual about that?" True, as Christians we behave, or should behave in a very unusual way. It's the way that is rooted in the radical call of the Gospel: see the other through the eyes of God and relate to the other as God would and not as we want. Unfortunately we have reduced Christianity only to something that is private, that is devotional, that is warm and fuzzy. The "unusual" element of the Gospel has been completely muted. In doing so, we have made the message of the Good News completely "usual." This is the reason, I think, people consider Christianity as one of the many ideas and opinions that are out there.

I want to reclaim the "unusual" of the Gospel and live it out. I have to start by doing what Jesus wants me to do: Love the other, especially those who are hard to love: the persecutors and the enemies.
With all humility, I have to confess that I do not find this appealing or easy.

So what to do? The Gospel tells me something even more unusual than to love my enemies. Jesus told me that now He lives in me. Then, with Humility and through some "mortification" (putting my Jezebel's voice to death), I can let Jesus in me love the enemy. Like a seed, I choose to die so that He can bring life to others.

By loving my enemies, I actually allow God's love to grow in me. Who knew? Well, I can't wait to go out there and find the many opportunities I will have throughout the day to love everyone, especially those who seem to be unlovable. Even better, I will let God love them through me.

Seed life: Forget the wrongs received

Monday of XI/OT: Daily Readings

I continue my life as a "seed." I must do my best today to remain "small," allow my old self to die so taht I may become a plant in the Kingdom of God.

The Word today allows me to start by looking at my heart: how do I react when things do not go my way? when I do not get what I want? when I do not see things done in the way I want them to be done?

There is a big temptation in us, truly strong that wants us to assert ourselves at all cost. We do this both openly or in a more hidden way. We tend to manipulate circumstances, talking to people so they take our side and add themselves to the push I am applying so that circumstances may become favorable and, in the end, what I want becomes a reality. For many people, Jezebel is alive and well.

The Gospel gives me the antidote. Not too long ago, Jesus reminded me that He wants each Christian to live in a righteous manner, righteousness that is greater than that of the Scribes and Pharisees.

We live in a society where everything is based on "rights," nobody talks about responsibilities anymore. You cannot have one without the other, but this doesn't seem to be acceptable anymore. Of course, even the concept of justice is changing. Within this environment, the Gospel seems to ruin everything because it tries to change this way of thinking. Jesus introduces a new element and adds to justice something unheard of: love and grace.

We treat others not as they should be treated but as God would treat them, offering grace in love. This concept seems to be an abomination: if we offer love and grace to whomever wronged me, what happens to my pain, to my situation? does it mean I am not worthy? Does that mean that wrong is acceptable?

These are big questions that deserve to be answered. But we must be honest. Although we do not tolerate wrong, we have to realize that when we hold on to the wrong we have received, we tend to become unjust people. The lex talionis, an eye for an eye..., was given to limit revenge not to let it escalate. The issue of forgiveness is tricky: sometimes we hold a grudge only to punish the offender. And most often than not, we get angry because the offender doesn't seem to care about our grudge. forgiveness means to let go of the power the offender has and start anew. 

I have to find, instead, a new way of handling the wrongs I receive: expose them to God's love, to His grace and let Him take care of me. I want to remain firm in the Gospel knowing that if I live the "something more" a new fruit will sprout forth in due time.

... in due time. Like the time of the seed that lives invisibly underground, allowing itself to let the earth transform it into the source of new life. I know that the choice to forget the wrongs I receive today, a choice made in love and faith, can bring grace to others, new life to the one who offended me, and refuge to those who may be involved.

But, how can I live this page of the Gospel knowing that I, too, offend others?

The life of a seed

XI Sunday in OT: Daily Readings

The parables of Jesus touch me in a particular way, today. I am amazed how Jesus can describe the most mysterious of things in such simple ways. I believe that this kind of explanations are possible only to those know extremely well what they are talking about.

And so Jesus, with two brushstrokes, paints a wonderful portrait of the Kingdom of God in our midst, linking intimately both sower and seed. It's challenging but I can't help to enter into this passage and pray that my heart will be open to handle the Mystery of God's action in the world.

As I read, I see myself not only as the sower who spread the seed of God's love everywhere I go but also, and especially, I can see that God's love turns me into a seed as well. The most challening thing of the first parable is the fact that the sower seems to be living in total faith, that whatever he has done will bring fruit. He does what he must do and let God take care of the rest.

How do I react and behave during the "waiting time?" I have no problem in understanding the job the sower has, but waiting for the seed to grow is quite disarming, because it does not depend on me but on God. I would rather do something than simply waiting. But this is how things work. I have to learn to be patient, and rely on Him who is, after all, the true sower and the true gardner - He knows what He is doing.

I like the sense of collaboration between the sower and the seed in the ground. It's a collaboration that creates surprise and amazement: what a marvel to see a plant sprouting out of a seed!

Have we lost this kind of amazent? Perhaps we are more attracted to the many special effects and new sounds and lights that we receive from the environment of today. The miracle of nature is too simple, too slow, too "normal," too "low tech." But all fades away, and after the latest special effect we are immediately searching for new ones. And the miracle of nature continue to go on; nature itself continues to say its 'yes' to God giving us signs of a world that exists and acts in silence and that grows invisibly.

I often feel myself as the mustard seed. Terrifyingly small. I do feel in me the capacity of growth but I also experience difficulties and shortcomings. I was listening to the homily of Deacon Tom and he helped us to remain focused on "being small." Small ego, small sense of entitlement, small amount of fear... in order to bring fruit, I have to remain "Seed" and let God help me to understand in which way I can give my life for His Life, for His Kingdom. This is the life I have to live: the life of a seed, that has all it needs to sprout but needs to die in other to give life to a tree. There are a lot of opportunities to die to one self throughout the day - die to the desire to be always number one, die to the desire to be always listened to, die to the desire to be always first, etc. He planted me in good soil; unlike the real seed, my growth is not automatic. God wants me to collaborate with Him. I am ready! (I think!)

Challenging, yes! But I know that God will allow the seed he planted in me to bring fruit. May I allow Him to bring His plan into action.