Today's Scripture Readings
Leviticus 19: 1-2, 15-18 (NRSV)
Psalm 1 (BCP., p.585)
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NRSV)
Matthew 22:34-46 (NRSV)
Blog Reflection
I have just returned home from spending a wonderful week of Convocation with my Sisters and Brothers in The Companions of St. Luke/OSB. We met together. We renewed our friendship. We prayed our Offices together. We spent 28 1/2 hours of our time in a silent retreat. We shared with each other our experiences of our home parishes, families and celebrated the Eucharist together.
One of the misconceptions about Monasticism is that it is not all about our Offices, Masses and being "hidden" away. The Companions of St. Luke/OSB is part of a new monasticism in that we live the majority of our lives dispersed in our marriages, families, communities, jobs and volunteer work. Yet, through our praying of the Daily Offices, Lectio Divina (the prayerful reading of Scripture) and living by The Rule of St. Benedict, we have an opportunity to live into our Baptismal Vows more deeply through the traditional and contemporary expressions of our Benedictine Vows of Obedience, Conversion of Life and Stability. Our lives together and a part are about how we build relationships with our God and with others.
One does not have to be a Monastic to recognize the importance of living more deeply into who we are as Christian people. Our Baptismal Vows and Covenant begin on page 304 and 305 of The Book of Common Prayer give us something too interesting to miss. As we go through the questions asked by the celebrant, following the Apostle's Creed; each of the questions become a little bit more difficult. It is quite easy to continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers. It is a bit more complicated to persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord. It is quite simple to proclaim the good news by word, but it is much more challenging to do so by example. This weeks Gospel reading is all about seeking to serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. The last one, which as you all know is the meaning of this blog is probably the most difficult. Particularly in a world that is riddled with violence, prejudice, oppression, injustice and endless political ads about who can pour the dirtiest mud on the other to win.
The Baptismal Vows, the Benedictine Vows and this Gospel reading today are all about love and our relationships. What is written in all of the Scriptures for this weekends Liturgy, is meant to become how we live in relationship because of the extravagant love of God, that extends beyond ourselves to another person.
All of us are human. All of us fall short of what it means to love God, neighbor and ourselves to the point of total self-surrender and sacrifice. The one common element that Christians have that makes us such an awesome and divinely gifted people; is that God showed us how to love God completely in our neighbor and ourselves through the Person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we have God loving all of us so deeply that "God did not spare God's own son, but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). Because Christians believe this, it makes no sense how we can suggest that God and the Church should marginalize any person for any reason. We may not suggest it by our words, per say, but we certainly can do it by our actions and attitudes.
The more Christians pretend not to notice the rise in gun violence, and supports the use of the second amendment as a way to solve our political differences; the whole meaning of loving God, our neighbor and self is lost in the gun powder.
As long as there are Christians who support LGBT people, yet turn the other way when it comes to immigration reform, racism, sexism and police militaristic brutality; the love of God, neighbor and self is nothing more than a fable.
Christian love is about our relationships that go beyond the beauty of a Gospel book and a well sung hymn. It is how we respond to God in our neighbor who is another one of ourselves to the point that anything less than reverence and respect can be compared to throwing the Chalice on the floor and pretending it never happened.
This love does not turn away from the opportunity to love, just because it is more challenging. On the contrary, the Christian seeks the help of the Holy Spirit to grow in the grace of God, so that we can love more deeply; especially when it is not easy.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer. Pages 102 & 126).
Prayers
Leviticus 19: 1-2, 15-18 (NRSV)
The LORD spoke to Moses, saying:
Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them: You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.
You shall not render an unjust judgment; you shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great: with justice you shall judge your neighbor. You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not profit by the blood of your neighbor: I am the LORD.
You shall not hate in your heart anyone of your kin; you shall reprove your neighbor, or you will incur guilt yourself. You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.
Psalm 1 (BCP., p.585)
1 Thessalonians 2:1-8 (NRSV)
You yourselves know, brothers and sisters, that our coming to you was not in vain, but though we had already suffered and been shamefully mistreated at Philippi, as you know, we had courage in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in spite of great opposition. For our appeal does not spring from deceit or impure motives or trickery, but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the message of the gospel, even so we speak, not to please mortals, but to please God who tests our hearts.
As you know and as God is our witness, we never came with words of flattery or with a pretext for greed; nor did we seek praise from mortals, whether from you or from others, though we might have made demands as apostles of Christ. But we were gentle among you, like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children. So deeply do we care for you that we are determined to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you have become very dear to us.
Matthew 22:34-46 (NRSV)
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, and one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. "Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?" He said to him, "`You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.' This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: `You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."
Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them this question: "What do you think of the Messiah? Whose son is he?" They said to him, "The son of David." He said to them, "How is it then that David by the Spirit calls him Lord, saying,
`The Lord said to my Lord,
"Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet"'?
If David thus calls him Lord, how can he be his son?" No one was able to give him an answer, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.
Blog Reflection
I have just returned home from spending a wonderful week of Convocation with my Sisters and Brothers in The Companions of St. Luke/OSB. We met together. We renewed our friendship. We prayed our Offices together. We spent 28 1/2 hours of our time in a silent retreat. We shared with each other our experiences of our home parishes, families and celebrated the Eucharist together.
One of the misconceptions about Monasticism is that it is not all about our Offices, Masses and being "hidden" away. The Companions of St. Luke/OSB is part of a new monasticism in that we live the majority of our lives dispersed in our marriages, families, communities, jobs and volunteer work. Yet, through our praying of the Daily Offices, Lectio Divina (the prayerful reading of Scripture) and living by The Rule of St. Benedict, we have an opportunity to live into our Baptismal Vows more deeply through the traditional and contemporary expressions of our Benedictine Vows of Obedience, Conversion of Life and Stability. Our lives together and a part are about how we build relationships with our God and with others.
One does not have to be a Monastic to recognize the importance of living more deeply into who we are as Christian people. Our Baptismal Vows and Covenant begin on page 304 and 305 of The Book of Common Prayer give us something too interesting to miss. As we go through the questions asked by the celebrant, following the Apostle's Creed; each of the questions become a little bit more difficult. It is quite easy to continue in the Apostles' teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and in the prayers. It is a bit more complicated to persevere in resisting evil, and, whenever we fall into sin, repent and return to the Lord. It is quite simple to proclaim the good news by word, but it is much more challenging to do so by example. This weeks Gospel reading is all about seeking to serve Christ in all persons, loving our neighbors as ourselves. The last one, which as you all know is the meaning of this blog is probably the most difficult. Particularly in a world that is riddled with violence, prejudice, oppression, injustice and endless political ads about who can pour the dirtiest mud on the other to win.
The Baptismal Vows, the Benedictine Vows and this Gospel reading today are all about love and our relationships. What is written in all of the Scriptures for this weekends Liturgy, is meant to become how we live in relationship because of the extravagant love of God, that extends beyond ourselves to another person.
All of us are human. All of us fall short of what it means to love God, neighbor and ourselves to the point of total self-surrender and sacrifice. The one common element that Christians have that makes us such an awesome and divinely gifted people; is that God showed us how to love God completely in our neighbor and ourselves through the Person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus Christ we have God loving all of us so deeply that "God did not spare God's own son, but gave him up for us all" (Romans 8:32). Because Christians believe this, it makes no sense how we can suggest that God and the Church should marginalize any person for any reason. We may not suggest it by our words, per say, but we certainly can do it by our actions and attitudes.
The more Christians pretend not to notice the rise in gun violence, and supports the use of the second amendment as a way to solve our political differences; the whole meaning of loving God, our neighbor and self is lost in the gun powder.
As long as there are Christians who support LGBT people, yet turn the other way when it comes to immigration reform, racism, sexism and police militaristic brutality; the love of God, neighbor and self is nothing more than a fable.
Christian love is about our relationships that go beyond the beauty of a Gospel book and a well sung hymn. It is how we respond to God in our neighbor who is another one of ourselves to the point that anything less than reverence and respect can be compared to throwing the Chalice on the floor and pretending it never happened.
This love does not turn away from the opportunity to love, just because it is more challenging. On the contrary, the Christian seeks the help of the Holy Spirit to grow in the grace of God, so that we can love more deeply; especially when it is not easy.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer. Pages 102 & 126).
Prayers
Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of
faith, hope, and charity; and, that we may obtain what you
promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus
Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy
Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p.235).
Gracious Father, we pray for thy holy Catholic Church. Fill it
with all truth, in all truth with all peace. Where it is corrupt,
purify it; where it is in error, direct it; where in any thing it is
amiss, reform it. Where it is right, strengthen it; where it is in
want, provide for it; where it is divided, reunite it; for the sake
of Jesus Christ thy Son our Savior. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 816).
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