Wisdom and Compassion

Lord, teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to labour and seek no reward
save that of knowing that I do your holy will (Sacred Space)

If i know that my compassion is applied through wisdom, then i can know the path i walk is true. To be taught anything at all one must be able to listen and to think, otherwise we call it 'training' such as one might train a dog to roll over. To serve i must be humble. I can't have thoughts that distract me or an inflated ego that tells me to stop, do less, take a break, seek service elsewhere or better yet be the boss. Fear might keep ones nose to the ground, but fear is not healthy. Fear is the weapon of darkness. Wisdom keeps the ego in its place, without threat. It does however require constant vigilance, hence we pray, we meditate, we celebrate mass together that we might constantly be reminded of why service is important to us.

Giving, fighting and labouring, we know how to show compassion because this is what the Christ taught in word and deed. Servant of mankind, God clearly demonstrates how the meek shall inherit the Earth. God inspires faith in the divine recipe of wisdom and compassion. Heaven on Earth?

The end of our commitment to Jesus Christ is to join with him in the establishment of the Kingdom of God on earth. It is to bring us closer to God and to each other, to lead us to an ever deeper understanding of what is true and good, which should be a source of justice and peace and unity.(Sacred Space)

Oremus:
Lord, teach me to serve you as you deserve;
to give and not to count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;
to labour and seek no reward
save that of knowing that I do your holy will. Amen.

Deo gratias.

Table Scraps

The daily grind and desire to keep people happy wore Soloman down, it seems. Maintaining the support of businessmen and keeping his many foreign wives content, the King became distracted. Politics failed God. Perhaps a separation of Church and State and giving unto Caesar what is Caesar's are good things because water and oil cannot be mixed. One must choose. Hence too, the danger of wealth accumulated.

So many distractions from the Truth. The Light shines eternally, but we create the clouds and eclipses. Today we read about the gentile woman who banters with Christ, suggesting that even dogs eat while the family eats. Even the unclean need nourishment. Even dogs at the table of the Lord can be fed on His scraps.

Let those who have ears, hear. Chosen people or dog, being human can be a challenge if one doesn't choose to remain wallowing in politics, wealth, power, status, lusts and other sundry preoccupations of the Self. Being human, we can choose to love God, neighbour and our selves. The only challenge mankind repeated faces is which direction shall we choose? Shall we live in a City of Pigs or a City of God?

Oremus:
I pray that each person chooses for love, that together society can choose for love and that on one day we are all united in love. Paradise restored and united with God, mankind at peace, knowing no fear, knowing no doubt. I pray for the wisdom and strength to begin with my Self, that being nourished on scrapes i can one day create a warm home with bountiful table that others may find rest and nourishment. Amen.

Deo gratias.

Let Us Be Close to Him

I am enjoy the homilies on Sacred Space of the Irish Jesuits. In today's mass reading King Solomon of the Jews marvels at the presence of God everywhere; God cannot be confined, especially to a mortal construction such as a temple or church:

At the same time, we can reflect that Jesus' sacramental presence in the tabernacle is a reminder of his real presence in all the people we meet and in all the experiences we have. Every person, every place, every experience is a sacrament of God's loving presence. Even when we are far from any church, Jesus is close to us.
Let us be close to him,. (Sacred Space)

Amen.

Deo gratias.

Saints and Teachers and Lessons in Compassion

But, long before that, as Jesus died and said "It is finished", the veil of the Holy of Holies, where the Ark was kept, was torn open to the common gaze. God was no longer present there. Instead, under the new covenant, signed in Jesus' blood, he is now present in his people. The temple now is not a building but the community of disciples. And that is where we are both to find him and reveal him. "As often as you do or do not do it to the very least of my brothers and sisters you do or do not do it to me." (Sacred Space: homily on 1 Kings 8:9-13)

The Old Testament is read at almost every mass. Christianity is simply a continuation of the story of God's relationship with the Hebrews. Christians have saints who lived and died in their personal attempt to live as Jesus did. Jews have prophets who had a special relationship with the divine and brought His words to the people. From the East came 3 wise men or magi bearing gifts for the baby born in Bethlehem, the Christ, God come among us in the flesh.

What say you then of a man, a prince, who turned his back on wealth and status, power and duty to family, friends and a very complex religion of gods and rituals, who went among the meek, poor, sick and alienated of the world to understand himself the Truth behind the veil of suffering that seemed to be daily life? What say you then of a mortal who gave up everything to receive enlightenment, and having beheld the Truth, having seen that for which there are no words, having understood Love, chose to spend the rest of his life teaching anyone who had ears to find out for himself this verysame Truth? Travelling, teaching, living daily as a role model and inspiration, sometimes revealing frustration at his followers follies, always patient and forgiving, this man reminds me of St. Paul, convert, reformed man, apostle and friend of the Divine. What say you of a man who's message predates the coming of the Christ, yet still offers hope of understanding and escaping the painful shackles of human suffering (Four Noble Truths) and encouraging a voluntary (and yes to many a radical) purification of the way we live so that we may become less Self centred, more giving, more loving, more compassionate beings (Eightfold Path)? Live simply. Live peacefully. Live without clinging to material things. Live, learning to let go of earthly woes simply because the Truth in Love lies not having, but giving. You are not who you think you are, he said. Jesus says the same. The Apostles say the same. When we do good for others we can know this truth, too, and move closer to knowing God. Don't waste time discussing the Law, the rituals, the actions of other men as right or wrong, just pull up your sleeves and get to work improving your self for the benefit of others!

In our church there are many statues of saints, of great men and women we are to remember for what they meant for the Church and faith. All men created in the image of God, we are told. Jesus came to bring change to the Jews. His message later crossed cultural lines to embrace non-Jews. As a teacher and revolutionary, i would welcome a statue of Siddhattha Gotama in my church, as a reminder of the dedication and constant vigilance he showed for his love of all mankind. And thus, it would not surprise me to learn that one of the wise men or magi that visited the newborn Christ was a follower of the Buddha.

As a Catholic, if i have room for attention to saints and prophets, then i certainly have room to embrace the brilliant teachings of simple bare-footed practitioners of compassion.