February 6, 2011

If you are going to commit to a sacrifice in your life, let it be to reach out in loving kindness to another, to make the world a better place, to work for justice, to share from your abundance and free yourself from poverty-mind, to refrain from finger-pointing and gossip.

Please God, help me to do this.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Isaiah 58:6-11

Is not this the fast that I choose:

   to loose the bonds of injustice,

   to undo the thongs of the yoke,

to let the oppressed go free,

   and to break every yoke?

7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

   and bring the homeless poor into your house;

when you see the naked, to cover them,

   and not to hide yourself from your own kin?

8 Then your light shall break forth like the dawn,

   and your healing shall spring up quickly;

your vindicator shall go before you,

   the glory of the Lord shall be your rearguard.

9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;

   you shall cry for help, and he will say, Here I am.

If you remove the yoke from among you,

   the pointing of the finger, the speaking of evil,

10 if you offer your food to the hungry

   and satisfy the needs of the afflicted,

then your light shall rise in the darkness

   and your gloom be like the noonday.

11 The Lord will guide you continually,

   and satisfy your needs in parched places,

   and make your bones strong;

and you shall be like a watered garden,

   like a spring of water,

   whose waters never fail.

Psalm 112

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

Matthew 5:13-16

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

February 5, 2011

My life is on the right path, what else could I possibly want? I take pleasure and comfort in the beauty of nature and that replenishes me, body mind and spirit. Even when disaster strikes, and the worst case scenario plays out, I know I am not alone and all shall be well. Life is so abundant and full just as it is and I have so much love that I have plenty to share with extra left over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Hebrews 13:15-21

Psalm 23

1 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

2   He makes me lie down in green pastures;

he leads me beside still waters;

3   he restores my soul.

He leads me in right paths

   for his name’s sake.

4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley,

   I fear no evil;

for you are with me;

   your rod and your staff—

   they comfort me.

5 You prepare a table before me

   in the presence of my enemies;

you anoint my head with oil;

   my cup overflows.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

   all the days of my life,

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

   my whole life long.

Mark 6:30-34

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

February 4, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

I think I would like to embroider today’s first reading and frame it in my home: Let mutual love continue, Show hospitality to strangers, Remember those in prison, Honor marriage, Keep your life free from the love of money, Be content with what you have.

Thank you God!

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Hebrews 13:1-8

Let mutual love continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it. Remember those who are in prison, as though you were in prison with them; those who are being tortured, as though you yourselves were being tortured. Let marriage be held in honour by all, and let the marriage bed be kept undefiled; for God will judge fornicators and adulterers. Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you.’ So we can say with confidence,

‘The Lord is my helper;

   I will not be afraid.

What can anyone do to me?’

Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.

Psalm 27

Mark 6:14-29

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

February 3, 2011

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

When Jesus sent the twelve out to the world, his instructions were filled with urgency: travel light, move with careful efficiency, don’t waste time with anything unnecessary. What burdens me in my life? What unnecessary baggage slows me down? Is it unworthiness? Analysis paralysis? Too much clutter? Too many to-dos? Fear? Unhealthy food? Secrets?

I commit to shedding my unnecessary baggage this year.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Hebrews 12:18-19,21-24

Psalm 48:1-4,9-11

Mark 6:7-13

7He called the twelve and began to send them out two by two, and gave them authority over the unclean spirits. 8He ordered them to take nothing for their journey except a staff; no bread, no bag, no money in their belts; 9but to wear sandals and not to put on two tunics. 10He said to them, ‘Wherever you enter a house, stay there until you leave the place. 11If any place will not welcome you and they refuse to hear you, as you leave, shake off the dust that is on your feet as a testimony against them.’ 12So they went out and proclaimed that all should repent. 13They cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick and cured them.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

February 2, 2011, The Feats of the Presentation

Reflection (The readings are below, for your reference)

If it is true that Jesus came to “free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death,” then I ask you and I must ask myself, how is my life held in slavery by the fear of death? Is it the fear of shame or blame? The fear of failure? The fear of loss? What fears am I a slave to? If I ask myself that question, then I come to know and understand what it is that I must let go of in order to be free. I commit to accept freedom and let go of fear.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Malachi 3:1-4

Psalm 24

Hebrews 2:14-18

14 Since, therefore, the children share flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared the same things, so that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. 16For it is clear that he did not come to help angels, but the descendants of Abraham. 17Therefore he had to become like his brothers and sisters* in every respect, so that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people. 18Because he himself was tested by what he suffered, he is able to help those who are being tested.

Luke 2:22-40

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

February 1, 2011, Saint Brigid's Day

I have been thinking about today’s gospel reading all day and I keep coming back to the fact that both the twelve-year-old girl and the woman with a twelve-year hemorrhage let go of control and then were healed. I think there is a message here about admitting we have no control and  the connection between that and our ability to open ourselves to healing.

What do you think?

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Hebrews 12:1-4

Psalm 22

Mark 5:21-43

21 When Jesus had crossed again in the boat to the other side, a great crowd gathered round him; and he was by the lake. 22Then one of the leaders of the synagogue named Jairus came and, when he saw him, fell at his feet 23and begged him repeatedly, ‘My little daughter is at the point of death. Come and lay your hands on her, so that she may be made well, and live.’ 24So he went with him.

And a large crowd followed him and pressed in on him. 25Now there was a woman who had been suffering from haemorrhages for twelve years. 26She had endured much under many physicians, and had spent all that she had; and she was no better, but rather grew worse. 27She had heard about Jesus, and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his cloak, 28for she said, ‘If I but touch his clothes, I will be made well.’ 29Immediately her haemorrhage stopped; and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. 30Immediately aware that power had gone forth from him, Jesus turned about in the crowd and said, ‘Who touched my clothes?’ 31And his disciples said to him, ‘You see the crowd pressing in on you; how can you say, “Who touched me?” ’ 32He looked all round to see who had done it. 33But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling, fell down before him, and told him the whole truth. 34He said to her, ‘Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.’

35 While he was still speaking, some people came from the leader’s house to say, ‘Your daughter is dead. Why trouble the teacher any further?’ 36But overhearing what they said, Jesus said to the leader of the synagogue, ‘Do not fear, only believe.’ 37He allowed no one to follow him except Peter, James, and John, the brother of James. 38When they came to the house of the leader of the synagogue, he saw a commotion, people weeping and wailing loudly. 39When he had entered, he said to them, ‘Why do you make a commotion and weep? The child is not dead but sleeping.’ 40And they laughed at him. Then he put them all outside, and took the child’s father and mother and those who were with him, and went in where the child was. 41He took her by the hand and said to her, ‘Talitha cum’, which means, ‘Little girl, get up!’ 42And immediately the girl got up and began to walk about (she was twelve years of age). At this they were overcome with amazement. 43He strictly ordered them that no one should know this, and told them to give her something to eat.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/

January 31, 2011

In today’s gospel reading I hear a call to embrace the shadow side. The man with the demon approaches Jesus (it’s unclear whether it is the demon speaking or the man himself, but either way, the man speaks with one and only one mouth). Jesus asks the man to name his demon. This is an interesting model to emulate. If you were to ask yourself to name a “demon” of yours, off the top of your head, what is the first to come to mind? Is it anger, fear, over-indulgence, envy, laziness, pride, shopping, greed, judgmentalism? Whatever it is, name it, acknowledge it, claim it. But do so with a light touch, not a hammer. Jesus doesn’t smack the man! That’s the first step. In Alcoholics Anonymous, the first step is to acknowledge that you are powerless over alcohol and then move on from there.

I commit to acknowledge my shadow side.

Namaste! Amen!

The Readings

Hebrews 11:32-40

Mark 5:1-20

5They came to the other side of the lake, to the country of the Gerasenes.* 2And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man out of the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. 3He lived among the tombs; and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain; 4for he had often been restrained with shackles and chains, but the chains he wrenched apart, and the shackles he broke in pieces; and no one had the strength to subdue him. 5Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always howling and bruising himself with stones. 6When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and bowed down before him; 7and he shouted at the top of his voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.’ 8For he had said to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’ 9Then Jesus* asked him, ‘What is your name?’ He replied, ‘My name is Legion; for we are many.’ 10He begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11Now there on the hillside a great herd of swine was feeding; 12and the unclean spirits* begged him, ‘Send us into the swine; let us enter them.’ 13So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the lake, and were drowned in the lake.

14 The swineherds ran off and told it in the city and in the country. Then people came to see what it was that had happened. 15They came to Jesus and saw the demoniac sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the legion; and they were afraid. 16Those who had seen what had happened to the demoniac and to the swine reported it. 17Then they began to beg Jesus* to leave their neighbourhood. 18As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed by demons begged him that he might be with him. 19But Jesus* refused, and said to him, ‘Go home to your friends, and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you.’ 20And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed.

The reading is from the website below.

http://bible.oremus.org/