Gate-Keepers

                                                      (Morocco Reflection 2.)

Morocco is ruled by King Mohammed VI.  Besides being very powerful, our guide pointed out that the king has more than 30 palaces.  We saw palaces in every city we visited.  But we only saw walls surrounding them and their main entrance gates.  At each gate there were military officers and other officials, who monitored those who wanted to enter.      

Seeing those gate-keepers reminded me of Pam Cremer and Mary Ann Huser who served as ‘gate-keepers’ for me when I was Pastor of St. Richard Parish.  They did a great job of fending off salesmen on the one hand, and making sure that I talked to or got messages from parishioners on the other hand. Thanks Pam and Mary Ann!

Is there someone in your life who is like a gate-keeper?  Someone who speaks for you when you need to rest or when you’re just not up to dealing with someone or some issue? 

In John’s Gospel we are reminded that Jesus is not only our good Shepherd, but He’s also the gate and the gate-keeper. (John 10:7-9)  We enter the heavenly sheepfold by going thru Him. The good news is that He’s a compassionate gate-keeper and a merciful judge. 

What do you think Jesus will say to you when it’s your turn to enter that gate?    

                                              The Man Who Wore Yellow Slippers

                                                          (Morocco Reflection 1.)

I visited Morocco for 12 days, returning this past Saturday night.  I’d like to write some blogs that relate to a few experiences there.

Our tour guide led us thru a number of “Kasbahs” in different cities.  Kasbahs are fortified neighborhoods or towns where tribal families live. Some Kasbahs date back to the 1200’s.  Their passageways are narrow and it is easy to get lost.

  

One day our guide led us thru a Kasbah in Marrakech.  Some members of our group noticed that there was a man in yellow slippers following us.  They were uneasy about this strange guy and mentioned it to our guide, who smiled when he heard their concern. 

It turns out that the man in yellow slippers was hired by our guide to follow our group. His job was to make sure that no one got lost in the maze of so many passageways. 

The yellow-slippered guy had a God-like job…making sure no one was lost.

Name a few times that you were lost…in different ways.  Name someone who helps you find your way or watches out for you.  My friends Carlos, Javier and Antony watch out for me.  I’m so grateful for their friendship.  And then, of course, there’s Jesus too. 

Make it a point today to thank someone who helps you navigate the maze of your life.

                                         …Disciples Returned to Their Former Way of Life

                                                                         (John 6:66b)

Five weeks ago we started reading chapter 6 of John’s Gospel.  The whole chapter is dedicated to Jesus’ description of Himself as the ‘Bread of Life’.  The chapter begins with the Feeding of the 5,000.  But by the end of the chapter nearly all 5,000 people have walked away from Jesus.  Only some committed disciples and the 12 apostles remained.

But then, even the committed disciples became disillusioned with Jesus when He claimed that anyone who ate His flesh and drank His blood would have eternal life.  As a result of that, verse 66 says that “many of His disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied Him.” 

What strikes me about that sentence is that following Jesus meant that people had to adopt a ‘new way of life'. What do you think that means?

How does being a disciple affect your way of life?

Being a disciple affects my priorities.  It helps me make better choices.  It forces me to be honest with myself.  And, people on the margins are more visible to me.       

If you returned to your former way of life, what would that mean?

If I returned to my former way of life, I think I’d be a mess!     

                                                             Soul Food

This not a blog about African-American cuisine.  It’s a blog about food for our souls. Ron Rolheiser calls our souls the ‘fire inside us that give us life and energy, and the glue that holds us together’.  And he says that, just like our bodies need to be nourished, so do our souls. 

What has been food for your soul in the last couple of days?

Yesterday I found a prayer that I’d lost years ago.  It's food for my soul and maybe it'll be that for you too. “O Lord, support us all the day long, until the shadows lengthen and the evening comes, and the busy world lies hushed, and the fever of life is over and our work is done.  Then in your mercy grant us a safe lodging, and a holy rest, and peace at last.”

Today food for my soul is the story of St. Maximilian Kolbe.  Aug. 14 is his feast day.  He was a prisoner in Auschwitz. In retaliation for an escaped prisoner, the commandant chose 10 men to be killed.  One of them wept because he wouldn’t see his children again. Maximilian took his place. And that fellow was present at St. Maximilian’s canonization.

What has been food for your soul in the last couple of days?    

                                                             Beetle Poop!

God gave manna to the Jews on their journey to the Promised Land. It came from the excretion of desert beetles which formed cocoons. The morning dew weighed them down and they fell off the bushes to which they were attached. They gathered the cocoons and pounded them into a flour that made very nutritious bread.  Not bad for beetle poop!

Last weekend I mentioned beetle poop in my homily. Afterwards a couple friends told me about a conversation they had about that.  And they were drawn to the idea that sometimes God also works thru the crap in our lives. 

   

I like that idea.  And I know the truth of it from my own experiences.  Can you think of any examples of that in your life? 

For many years I struggled with the issue of not loving myself.  But little by little that’s changing with God’s help. The result is that I’m gaining a healthier picture of who I am. And an even better result is that now I can even help others deal with similar issues. 

If you can see how God has helped you deal with something crappy in your life, make it a point to tell someone about it.  Maybe God (and you) can help them too. 

                                             Come…and Rest a While (Mk 6:31a)

This is a blog about taking naps. God did it on the 7^th day of creation.  Jesus did it quite frequently when He went away by Himself for to pray and rest.  Pope Francis does it almost every afternoon when he goes to his chapel after lunch and spends 10-15 minutes praying and then another 10-15 minutes taking a little nap.   And he says St. Therese did it too. 

I do it almost every Saturday morning when the pressure is on to pull together the threads of a weekend homily.  By that point I have too many ideas. And I’m at wit’s end to edit, discard, add, coordinate or start over.  So I settle into my recliner and I bring the mess of ideas forward and take a little nap. About  10 minutes. 

Almost always when I wake up, things have gelled.  It may not result in a good homily, but I’ve narrowed the options and have a clearer focus. It settles me. I call it a ‘holy nap’.

So, with my expertise in ‘napping’, I’ve written up a document called: “Directions for Taking a Holy Nap”.  That document is also attached to today’s new post message.  If you try taking a ‘Holy Nap’, let me know. 

                                                                      Baggage

A backpack filled with a bunch of books.  Another backpack filled with clothes.  A plastic bag with toiletries and an extra pair of shoes. My computer.  A small plastic bag with snacks for the journey.  This is a list of baggage I stuffed into my car for a recent trip to Ann Arbor Michigan where I met my sister for a 3 day vacation.

‘Embarrassed’ is the best word to describe my reaction to a sentence in last Sunday’s Gospel. (Mk 6:7-13)  “Jesus summoned the twelve and sent them out two by two”…”He instructed them to take nothing on their journey except a walking stick – no food” (I think that means no snacks) “no traveling bag” (I think that means no backpacks or computer case)…”Do not bring a second tunic.” I think that means that 4 shirts were too many!!!

Why did I take so much luggage?  Do you take too much baggage too? Why?

And then, of course, there’s more to the story about my baggage.  My baggage also includes my dispositions, my moods, my prejudices, my anxieties, my insecurities, etc.

If I traveled this week I’d take less stuff and less personal baggage too.  Make a list of ‘stuff’ and ‘personal baggage’ that you’d leave behind on your next journey.