What Do You See?

A beggar asked his neighbor for charity but the neighbor told him: "I'll give you something even better.” The neighbor brought the beggar to a merchant, and asked him to find a job for the beggar. As the neighbor was well trusted, the merchant didn't hesitate to give some merchandise to the beggar and asked him to travel and sell them in another city.

A few days later, the neighbor found the beggar still in a miserable condition; surprised, he asked him about the matter. The beggar informed him: "While traveling, I found a blind eagle in the desert, and I was very curious how it got food though it was blind; I observed it for some time, and, to my surprise, another eagle came and fed it. I said to myself, this bird took care of that blind eagle in this desert and who will take care of me! So, I returned to the city and gave the merchant back his goods."

But the neighbor after reflection, asked him: "But tell me, why did you choose to be the blind eagle, not the other one, who could fly, chase, and take care of others?"

Maybe the Spirit of God might be nudging you to task care of someone who you least expect. Bartimaeus was a blind beggar who took a different approach to life than our beggar in the story. He shouted to Jesus, but was scolded by the crowd and ordered to be quiet. Then Jesus does something rather odd, he is perfectly capable of calling Bartimaeus to himself, and yet he tells others in the crowd to do it. “Call him here.”

What do you think is see happening here? If the people had refused Jesus request would Bartimaeus have remained blind? If we fail to act when nudged by the Holy Spirit, does it mean some poor soul will go unnoticed by God?

Jesus asks, “What do you want me to do for you?” No desire for power here, just a confident but humble request “Rabbi, I want to see.” And as quickly as the request is spoken Bartimaeus is told, “Go, your faith has healed you.” We are told that Bartimaeus immediately began to follow Jesus along the road.

What do we see as you gaze upon this Sonshine photo of a morning sunrise in the Adirondacks? A beautiful Autumn morning, a reflection of the spirit inside of you nudging you to take notice of someone in need of God’s grace. Maybe like that eagle you will soar and bring God’s love to those who are different, to those who make us look at ourselves and ask: Where are our blind spots?”

God prays for us as we reflect: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that God gives us the grace to fill our eyes that we may see others as You see them. Help us to make our community of faith a haven for the hurt, the lost, the angry, and for all who feel they have been rejected by the world. We have felt your love and forgiveness and it is our desire to share what we have experienced with them. As we go about our routines this week help us to really see and hear what goes on around us. Open our senses to the opportunities you present for us to share your love with others. Help us to be builders of community in your name.

Swirling

In the past 24 hours, I made a 12-hour house call to the Adirondack Correctional Facility. There a young man sits determined to return home to be vindicated for a crime he did not commit. The daily routine, boredom and degrading atmosphere take its toll over his spirit. He simply survives, washes his clothes in a five-gallon bucket, works out in zero degree temperatures and attends Mass. The senior counselors reviewed his case and recommended that he be eligible for a work release program that would return him home. However, he needs the approval of the prison superintendent and the Albany director of parole.

The system is the disease and in the trenches I have tried to teach him how to manage his stress without losing his integrity and slumping into depression. He asked for books about the Holocaust survivors to learn how they managed in their internments. I believe that it was their faith that helped them to persevere.

Thanks to the hospitality of Fr. Vic, the prison chaplain, a young man struggles in a system that preaches “rehabilitation” but the truth is that this system’s motto is power and money.

This young man’s thoughts are swirling with emotions of anger and resentment, frustration and depression. He has spent less than 100 days surviving the system, transferred nine different times, stationed at six different prisons and learned that boredom and stripping your humanity are the focus of this inhumane system.

How many times in your life have you felt stripped of your humanity, raped by fears of misunderstanding or the cruelty of the medical or social service system that fails to give you hope and relief? Overworked counselors, nurses and aides struggle to provide homecare, a place to live, a job, medical care, or simply food stamps. In reality, you feel like a number waiting for your turn. You are not thriving but only surviving. The system is more about power and money.

Make no mistake, this is not the leadership style of Christ who comes as the servant leader. As St. Paul says, He became one like us, able to “sympathize with our weaknesses,” even becoming subject to earthly death.

When you are swirling in turmoil, drowning in bureaucracy or the empty promises of government programs and insurance, think of God getting down into the trenches with you, coming down among his people, to do everything he could for your benefit. Christ is the servant leader.

God prays for us as we reflect: “ Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (John 15:13).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who suffer from a system that fails to get down into the trenches with us. For the counselors, teachers, mentors who daily come intro the home of the elderly, physically challenged and incarnated, may the spirit of Christ bring hope and comfort into the hearts of anyone who feels abandoned and useless. In the eyes of God, look into today’s image and see beyond the swirling waters of your troubles and notice in the distance a bridge where God is waiting to walk you into his glory.

An Autumn Bouquet

A priest was in charge of the garden within a famous cathedral. he had been given the job because he loved the flowers, shrubs, and trees. Next to the cathedral there was another, smaller church where there lived a very old retired pastor.

One day, when the priest was expecting some special guests, he took extra care in tending to the garden. He pulled the weeds, trimmed the shrubs, combed the moss, and spent a long time meticulously raking up and carefully arranging all the dry autumn leaves. As he worked, the retired pator watched him with interest from across the wall that separated the churches.

When he had finished, the priest stood back to admire his work. "isn't it beautiful," he called out to the old priest. "yes," replied the old man, "but there is something missing. Help me over this wall and I'll put it right for you."

The priest lifted the old fellow over and set him down. Slowly, the pastor walked to the tree near the front of the church, grabbed it by the trunk and shook it. Leaves showered down all over the garden.

Autumn tells a beautiful story. The nights are longer, the air is colder. The breeze has a distinct bite to it. Nature follows its own internal directive: "Slow down, it seems to call. Ponder the inward, rather than the outward. Return. Be quiet. Take rest."

Autumn is telling us something important. Autumn fires something in our imagination that can sustain us as spiritual people. With its blustery days, its dropping temperatures, its slowly freezing ponds and rivers, its long, dark nights, and its beautiful, falling leaves, Autumn tells us the story of Nature's way, in which all individual lives wind down, and return, each in its own time, each in its own way, to the earth.

This is a difficult story, and though it is the leaves that tell it-and they are truly eloquent-it is a story for all souls. It reminds us that our lives our not whole if the story we tell is only about holding on. If our story does not allow us to let go gracefully, then we do ourselves a spiritual disservice. For, in the end, we are just like leaves, swirling in autumn wind, gently bound for spinning earth.

God prays for us as we reflect: “Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them. Then all the leaves of the woods will sing for joy; they will sing before the Lord.” (Psalm 96:12-13)

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine friends who struggle with letting go the neighborhood church, the grief of departed friends, the worry of finding a job, the disease that weakens immune systems, the resentments of long ago, the rudeness of trampling others down. Give us a wisdom that comes with prayer that allows us to gently let it go

Faith Muscles

Wilson is a wonderful barn horse who through the years has developed a remarkable patience with “novice” riders. I consider myself a “novice” rider who many times forgets the basics of horsemanship like staying in balance. When Wilson started to canter, I was flopping up and down in the sandal and pulling on the bit that makes it very uncomfortable for the horse. Poor Wilson, he must have thought that Fr. Matt had a bad week and wanted the lesson to stop at that moment.

Instead my instructor said stop, take your feet out of the stirrups and stretch your legs. I was not balanced over the horse. The reason was simple. I had not been doing my stretching exercises. Once the legs were loose and stretched, we started to canter again, grabbed mane and horse and rider felt more comfortable going over the cross rails.

One exercise excellent for the horse to practice in the ring is to ”gently’ pull the rein to one side. Wilson would tuck his head to that side which helps to stretch his neck. At the same time, I push with my calf so that Wilson continues walking in a straight line. Horses need to stretch their necks and backs so that their muscles stay healthy and strong.

Many times, we feel out of shape because we procrastinate and fail to exercise. In life, we feel overwhelmed by many difficulties because we have not been stretching our “faith” muscles.

It is possible to conclude that difficulties help our faith to grow strong? My response is yes, yes, and yes again. If life were all smooth sailing we would not develop the faith muscles. An individual confined to a hospital bed for a long time will find it difficult to walk properly. In fact, it has been proven that the lack of use tends toward deterioration.

So when "hills" appear in your life, when even "mountains" loom in your pathway, consider an opportunity to get into balance. This is how we develop our muscles. We believe that the testing of faith produces patience. So let patience help us when we are out of spiritual balance.

God prays for us as we reflect: "Consider it all joy when you fall into various trials. Because you know that the testing of faith develops perseverance.” (James 1:2-3).

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends who are a tad out of shape physically and spiritually. Help us to develop the spiritual strength to manage the trails of life with our faith muscles in perfect balance.

Many churches celebrated the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi with a pet blessing. Here is my “Pet Prayer for the Lost and Forgotten”

To all the fur-balls who are lost, Or homeless, Or living as strays, may they find a good meal to eat. May they have shelter to keep them warm. May they have comfort. May they be shown kindness by strangers. And may they return home, or find good homes. May they rest in a place in which they can thrive. Filled with love, with warmth, with tender caring, with good food, with true companions for all of their days.