Ruminations

There are times when I try to imagine life in Galilee. There are times when I try to imagine being in the Capernaum temple with Jesus on the sabbath. 

How wonderful it would be to hear Jesus Christ speak his words, to experience his syntax. Sitting in Mass I sometimes close my eyes briefly and try to create a scene hurriedly and vaguely. There is much artistic license and Hollywood spectacle but this can be helpful in unpacking the reading. Sometimes additional questions spring up and surprise me with a search for meaning, a search for deeper understanding. Each time I attend Mass there is an opportunity for further learning on how to be a better loving Christian, how to serve God with humility, charity, mercy, and compassion.

In between news about Hurricane Irene, hunting feral pigs from helicopters, searching for Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi's remaining forces, there is always time to be surprised by God.

God’s love is inexhaustible.

The search for connection between Holy Scripture and our daily lives is very important. Finding resonance in the readings can encourage greater love for God. Our faith does ask us to be cerebral, to use our minds to serve God, to use our minds to serve God. Our faith asks each of us to use our ganglions to form gangs of hope and love in ourselves and our communities.

Ebb and flow is natural in life; there is always advance and retreat. In the life of all Christians there are times of solitude, times of solicitude. There are times of vague desire to do good, there are times of gradual acceptance of loving God. Each Christian is allowed to learn when to speak, when to shut up.

I seek faith in a faithful place. I seek God in a loving place.

he would withdraw to deserted places to pray

Listening to the Liturgy of the Word should be an active process, the entire mind should be engaged with each word that is spoken during this time. The Bible is filled with activity. People are always moving around, obeying God, disobeying God. The people in the Bible are always up to something. Although the Bible does not mention texting, email, smart phones, the people of the Bible knew how to communicate with one another without using a telephone or Facebook or Twitter or Youtube. The People of the Bible were good at getting the message.

Jesus was a very busy person. He was always on the go, moving from town to town. His ministry involved motion, involved going to the people, involved listening to the people, involved serving the people. Jesus did not limit his ministry to one neighborhood in one town. He was in Nazareth, Capernaum, Bethabara, Cana, Galilee.

Two Thousand years later there is something magical, something powerful in the names of these places and the connection to Jesus. His ministry moved from the countryside to the synagogue to the countryside. His ministry moved along country roads and city streets.

His message was simple love God and love each other. His message was radical then, and is still radical now.

Even with all the moving about from town to town Jesus always found time to pray.

Christianity asks each believer, each Christian to spread the Good News, to share their blessings and gifts with others, to praise and love God each day. Christianity asks each believer to join a journey of goodness, holiness, kindness, to join a journey of faithfulness and loyalty to God.

It is important to always be attentive, to always be listening for the voice of God. Being Christian often involves a period of discernment, of contemplating, praying reflecting on how to move closer to God, on how to serve God.

Each day there are signs of the Holy Spirit in our lives, encouraging us to pray, encouraging us to help others, encouraging us to avoid temptations and distractions. Each day there are signs of the Holy Spirit directing us toward God, directing us to the path of Jesus. Each day there are signs of the Holy Spirit asking each of to be active Christians, loving and serving God, loving each other unconditionally.

Even with our busy lives of work, family, friends, volunteer activities, each Christian should find time to pray.

Each day I wonder what Nazareth, Capernaum, Bethabara, Cana, Galilee were like when Jesus was alive and moving from town to town. Each day I wonder if there is something more that I could be doing to love and serve God.

A sense of courage is needed. A sense of humor is required. Simplicity is needed. Love is required. Being Christian requires active listening, active participation. Being Christian requires gracious words, loving deeds.