Lord, It Is Good That We Are Here

  

There are times in our lives when we have a mountain-top experience and we can easily use Peter’s words to describe it. “Lord it is good that we are here.” These moments are be very special: at our own wedding, or the wedding of someone we love; a new job that fulfills a dream; getting into the college of our first choice; retirement after years of hard work and saving.

AND there are everyday experiences when we can also say, “Lord is good that we are here”: watching our child take his/her first steps; holidays with the whole family around the table and everyone getting along; having coffee with our best friend; good seats at the opening of the baseball season; watching a grandchild perform at a kindergarten play. These are moments when we feel we are on a mountain top and we can say with Peter, “It is good that we are here.” And we thank God for these times.

But our lives aren’t always as comfortable as Peter describes. However, there are times when we don’t want to be “here”– and would rather be anywhere else: not sick; not without a job; not struggling with relationships; not failing at school; not in the process of a divorce; not undergoing chemotherapy; not in the wrong job. This past week, I was asked to lead the Opening Prayer at a funeral in a Presbyterian Church where a good neighbor and farmer was buried. For his spouse and son and daughter it was a nightmare. These are hardly mountain-top experiences - during these times we could hardly say, “It is good that we are here.” We would prefer to say, “I want out!”

For the ancient peoples, and even in some places today, mountains are special meeting places with God. “To go up a mountain” was a term used for those seeking a special relationship with God.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends and ask what would listening to Jesus mean at this moment in your life? We, like the disciples, periodically need to go to a listening place, our own private “mountain top.” The photo below is a place where I find some quiet time to listen to Jesus. Take a moment to gaze upon this image to listen to Jesus. 

 

 

 

Obstacles

 

After a recent snow storm with wind gusts of 60 mph, I walked the trails in our forest and found that a huge tree had broken hallway up its trunk and fell across the trail, blocking the path forward. Yes, there are obstacles that we stumble upon in life, but when it comes to a down tree, I have learned to ask for help.

 

What are some of the obstacles you are facing at this time. My next door neighbor food stamp card wasn’t working, coworkers were adjusting after the traumatic accidental death of one of their workers. I had received a phone call from Florida asking for help to transport their spouse back home for cancer treatment. Sadly, this morning I drove to the home of this a man’s step son to inform him that his stepdad had died this morning in hospice.

 

Yes, there is much suffering in our lives, but I have learned to call on good friends to help cut up the branches of that down tree so that we can move forward again along the trail. Lent invites us to reconnect with our friend Jesus. You might ask does God really need our friendship?

 

My answer is definitely yes!  Like that down tree, I could have tried on my own to cut up the limbs, but fearful the trunk might break away and cause an injury. Rather, my good friend and arborist John knows where to cut the limbs safely. So together we carefully removed the branches and opened the trail again. 

 

 

 

I am grateful for all my mentors. Friends who come to be with us in silence in times of sorrow. Friends who come to share the joys in our life. Friends who wisely share their experience to keep us safe out of harms way. Jesus created his children so that He could be there for us in our sorrow and joys, in sickness and health, in moments we despair or exhausted from all the stresses in our life.

 

I have one obstacle that I have struggled with for five years. My goal for my farm that we call “Reviresco” a Latin word meaning. “to be green again” is to create a community to serve adults and children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. My vision is to develop an agricultural-style community that offers an inclusive environment to learn, work, live and grow.

 

I regret to share that I have contacted various agencies, colleges, and foundations to make this vision for the land into a perpetual learning center.  Their response is an invitation to donate at the end life and funds would support their programs.

 

I am searching for a friend, or friends, or an agency, school or foundation willing to accept the challenge to help recreate Reviresco into a learning center for those

with physically, intellectual, and emotional challenges who would appreciate visiting along the banks of a stream, watching a waterfall or glancing up at an owl in the trees.

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, and I ask all who come to this blog to forward this reflection to your friends, neighbors and colleagues. I welcome a helping hand with this obstacle that continues to block the trail and help bring the beauty of this parkland into the lives of those who would appreciate the opportunity to come to Reviresco and enjoy the beauty of God’s creation.

Free free to call or email if you or someone would like to help.

Fr. Matt 585-520-86750 or email: drmattkawiak@gmail.com

                                 

                                                               REVIRESCO

 

 

 

 

Art & Faith: Ash Wednesday

 

Carl Spitzweg’s “Ash Wednesday” invites us into the Lenten season with a spirit of introspective piety. We meet a downcast carnival clown, seated in the corner of a cell, his head bent, arms crossed, and face in shadows. A clown normally represents revelry, satire, excess, exuberance, letting go of convention, and laughing at life. But here, seated somber in a cell, he offers none of that. Instead, he sits in a nearly empty stone room, the color of ash and arid desert, with only a pitcher of water as provision. Leaving the revelry of Mardi Gras, this clown now dwells in the simplicity of the Lenten season.

The Gospel for Ash Wednesday finds remarkable expression in the figure of this clown. From head to toe, the clown is a figure who is made for attracting attention—his antics and costume say “Look at me!” In the Gospel, Jesus teaches us to be less concerned with how others may see us. In this light, the clown is not just a symbol of Mardi Gras exuberance, but also of the “look at me” culture that Jesus warns against. Here, the isolation is the attention-hog clown’s genuine moment of conversion—the moment of discovering his inner room where he may pray to God in secret.

Spitzweg’s clown is central, but the image’s background tells the rest of the story. The clown is bathed in light from an upper window, a subtle sign that his prison cell is perhaps instead a place of retreat, repentance, and conversion. In contrast to this upper light is a dark archway, the entrance to the cell. The composition of the clown, the window, and the archway forms a narrative triangle. The dark archway, directly across from the clown, shows us where he has come from. The window above lets in the light, and the rays point the way upward and invite the clown toward fullness, possibility, and hope. This time for him is a crossroads, a change of direction from darkness to light, just as the season of Lent can be for us.

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that this season of Lent we make time to discern and reflect on how God invites us to use His gifts to bring comfort and peace to all the outcasts and children of God in our world.

God Loves the Outcasts

 

Leprosy is mentioned in both the first reading and in the Gospel. Implicit in both of these is the theme of suffering. The following is a list of paradoxes about suffering. See if they make sense to you. 

 

Suffering is NOT God's desire for us, nor a gift from God. The paradox is that suffering occurs in the process of this thing we call life.
Suffering is NOT given in order to teach us something. The paradox is that we can learn from suffering, and grow.
Suffering is NOT given to punish us. The paradox is that suffering sometimes comes as the result of poor choices we make.
Suffering is NOT given to teach others something. The paradox is that through suffering we can learn about faith, character, endurance, hope as well as weakness, struggle, humility.
Suffering does NOT occur because one's faith is weak. The paradox is that our faith may be strengthened by the journey through suffering.
God does NOT DEPEND on human suffering to achieve divine purposes. The paradox is that, sometimes, God's purposes are fulfilled through suffering.
Suffering is NOT always to be avoided at all costs. The paradox is that people sometimes choose suffering.
Suffering can sometimes destroy us. The paradox is that it can add meaning to our lives. 

 

Many things in life humble us and the man in today's Gospel reading clearly knew the importance of prayer. His body language is moving as he approached Jesus on his knees. Like countless pilgrims in Fatima who approach the Shrine on their knees and in smaller ways when we adopt the posture of kneeling during Mass. Maybe remembering in our minds' eye when we were that little boy or girl saying our night-time prayers kneeling beside our bed. He models prayer by asking "if you want to, you can cure me." We know the rest...he stretched out his hand and in that unheard of gesture to a man bearing the mark of leprosy- taught us something. To ask big questions for one thing. 

 

Who are our outcasts? Who do we not fully welcome into our community? Where do we push away those to whom Jesus might well fasten himself, cling to? Who do we need to fully restore to community?

Whenever we discriminate with any supposed moral superiority against different human groups (vagabonds, prostitutes, drug addicts, people with AIDS, immigrants, LGBT...) or we exclude ANYONE from living with us, denying them our acceptance, we are seriously distancing ourselves from Jesus. There is enough suffering in life- don’t add to it. 

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends that we are open, patient and understanding that labels are the true cause of much suffering in the world. Like Jesus may our arms and hearts be open in need of His acceptance and love.

 

Whatever It Takes

 

 

In today's gospel we see Jesus involving himself in the ordinary lives of people. He was at Peter's house where he healed Peter's mother-in-law. As a result of his presence among the people, the whole surrounding neighborhood brought their sick and ill so that Jesus could heal. That is why Jesus came: To be a human like us, to live and share our daily lives, to do whatever it takes to bring the Spirit of healing into our lives. 

 

Jesus performed miracles in his life. But the pastoral worker, or any Christian, need not perform miracles. It is enough just to be there and listen. 

 

In the past two weeks, I had been deployed to provide comfort and healing to factory workers whose coworker died in an industrial accident. Two young coworkers who witnessed the accident were suffering normal trauma symptoms after the incident. They shared praised for their mentor who was intelligent in his job and had a wonderful sense of humor. After listening to their pain and giving them the tools to cope with this difficult memory, they both plan to return to work today. Most reassuring after they attended the funeral Mass, they hung up his holy card with the picture of their mentor on their refrigerator door as a reminder of his gift to each of them. Sometimes the best thing we can do is listen. Jesus did a lot of it in his ministry. 

 

A motivational speaker once said there are two kinds of people in this world: those who say "whatever" and those who say, "Whatever it takes." And he's right! Some people live their lives with the motto of a petulant teenager on their lips, "Whatever." Have you ever asked a young person to do something that you think is important and have them shrug their shoulders and respond, "Whatever?" Some people are like that with regard to their faith. In fact, let's turn this into a responsive reading. I'm going to make some statements. After each statement I want you to answer with a shrug, "Whatever." Say it with a loud sigh. "Whatever." O.K. Jesus said to love your neighbor. "Whatever." Jesus said there is more rejoicing over one sinner who is found than the ninety-nine that stayed within the fold. "Whatever." Jesus said that when you have done it to the least of these. "Whatever." 

 

Now, let's change our response from whatever to "Whatever it takes." OK, let's try it. Jesus said to love your neighbor. "Whatever it takes." Jesus said there is more rejoicing over one sinner who is found than the ninety-nine that stayed within the safety of the fold. "Whatever it takes." Jesus said that when you have done it to the least of these. "Whatever it takes." Are you and I, like St. Paul, willing to do whatever it takes to win the world to Christ? 

 

Lord, I pray for all my Sonshine Friends, like Jesus, Paul was willing to go the limit, to do whatever it takes to win souls. In today's glimpse of a life in the day of Jesus, we can see that Jesus was too. He did not glory in hanging around where he had performed miracles, but he went on, with the aid of his life of prayer to the Father to guide him, and he spread the Gospel. We are called to do the same.