Category: holiness

Faith Fat-Heads?

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Eternal Life, Faith, holiness, spirituality3 Comments

Thursday, September 13, 2018

       Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091318.cfm

1 Cor8_Pride

Today, in Mercy, Paul puts forth a somewhat elaborate argument about what it means to know Christ. Paul’s style is strung with the “if – then” rational of classic Greek debate. Reading this passage might leave us thinking it’s just about dietary customs. But it’s not. It’s about us.

The core of the reading teaches us that the more we grow in the knowledge and love of Christ, the gentler and more merciful we must be with others. We must always lead others to Christ by patience and example rather than by force, criticism or shaming.

Paul says there’s a good reason for that. He says we’re never as smart or holy as we think we are. Any pride or self-righteousness in our practice of faith are sure indications of this deficit. These attitudes lead us to judgment rather than mercy.

In plain terms, Paul is saying that nobody likes or learns from a fat-head or know-it-all. Our faith will inspire only when it humbly reflects the all-knowing, all-merciful God Who loves us even in the inevitable weakness of our humanity.

The music today is a lovely old hymn sung by Harry Dench. Dench, an Australian, sang with the The Moonee Ponds Songsters Of The Salvation Army. 

I love many of these robust, open-hearted hymns of yesteryear. In their poetry, they often capture a simple reverence we sometimes lose in today’s music. I hope you might enjoy this one today. It’s good if you read the words first ( And beside, how often do you get to read the word “thither”!

It passeth knowledge, that dear love of Thine,
My Jesus, Savior!—yet this soul of mine
Would of that love, in all its depth and length,
Its height and breadth, and everlasting strength
Know more and more.

It passeth telling, that dear love of Thine,
My Jesus, Savior!—yet these lips of mine
Would fain proclaim to sinners far and near
A love which can remove all guilty fear,
And love beget.

It passeth praises, that dear love of Thine,
My Jesus, Savior!—yet this heart of mine
Would sing a love so rich, so full, so free,
Which brought an undone sinner such as me
Right home to God.

Oh, fill me, Jesus, Savior, with Thy love;
Lead, lead me to the living fount above!
Thither may I in simple faith draw nigh,
And never to another fountain fly,
But unto Thee.

And when my Jesus face to face I see,
When at His lofty throne I bow the knee,
Then of His love, in all its breadth and length,
Its height and depth, its everlasting strength,
My soul shall sing.

Music: It Passeth Knowledge – Harry Dench of The Salvation Army

Apples and Oranges

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Courage, Faith, Gospel, holiness, spirituality2 Comments

Monday, September 10, 2018

       Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/091018.cfm

Today, in Mercy, our Gospel finds the Pharisees once again confronting Jesus with a dilemma.  It is the Sabbath, a day when any kind of “work” is prohibited. Yet, a man with a withered hand approaches Jesus needing to be cured. Should Jesus do this work?

Lk6_9 law or mercy

It is the classic, Pharisaical confrontation: appearing to weigh two equal responses which in reality are incomparable – like apples and oranges. They are similar only on the surface. Their essences are quite distinct.

Jesus’ continuing debate with the Pharisees always swirls around the balance between law and spirit. The Pharisees have idolized the Law, allowing it to swallow the Spirit. Under their intransigent interpretation, the poor crippled man in today’s Gospel would have lost the chance for healing.

We call quandaries like this being “between a rock and a hard place”. The ancient Greeks called  it “between Scylla and Charybdis” – an adjacent huge rock and whirlpool which threatened to swallow their ships passing through. The image powerfully captures the angst accompanying  these dilemmas.

We navigate such hazards throughout our lives, facing choices which are often unclear and confusing. Our alternatives sail the wide range between “law” and “spirit”, between what seems advantageous and what seems right, between what is comfortable and what is spiritually challenging, between what is “legal” and what is just and merciful.

How do we choose according to the pattern of Christ? How do we choose forgiveness, mercy, inclusive love, peace and charity in a world that screams “Choose selfishly. You deserve it!”

Through prayer, scriptural reflection, and merciful service, our spirits absorb that Sacred Pattern of Christ. It is in the shape of the Cross. It will guide us between our Scylla and Charybdis.

Today’s song is simple, almost childlike – but that simplicity is often just what we need in the face of a dilemma.
Music: I Choose You – Libby Allen Songs

All Good Gifts

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Discipleship, holiness, Thanksgiving1 Comment

Sunday, September 2, 2018

       Readings:  http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/090218.cfm

Today, in Mercy,  In our first reading, James writes elegantly to his community. He reminds them and us that all gifts originate in our changeless, loving God Who breathed us to life from his infinite and Lavish Mercy.

Jms1_17 gifts

Then James just so simply enjoins is:

  • So hear God’s Word of Love in your hearts
  • Be good by doing good for the afflicted

James says that doing this is “religion pure and undefined”.

In our Gospel, Jesus reinforces this truth. The Pharisees want to condemn Jesus and the disciples for breaking a ritual hand-washing rule. Jesus says those human rules are lip-worship. What God wants is a loving and sincere heart proven by loving and sincere deeds.

On this first Sunday in September, let us rejoice in the gifts God has given us- life, faith, the ability to love and hope. Let us reach out by prayer and service to those who might be blessed by our sharing. 

That reach can be so simple: a smile, a phone call, a small courtesy, a solitary prayer. Or it can be huge: a long-delayed forgiveness, a turning from unhealthy or unholy behaviors, a commitment to faith and service. We ask the Father of Lights to inspire us.

Music: Every Good Gift ~ One:A Worship Collective

Follower of Christ

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Conversion, Discipleship, Eternal Life, Faith, holiness, Jesus, spirituality3 Comments

Monday, August 20, 2018 – Memorial of St. Bernard

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/082018.cfm

st Bernard

Today, in Mercy, our Gospel tells us the story of a rich young man with a good and holy heart. He asked Jesus what he needed to do, beyond keeping the commandments, to become perfect in God’s sight. 

Jesus tells him to sell what he has, give the proceeds to the poor, and follow Him. Apparently, this is too much for the man to accept and he goes away sad.

On the other hand, we have St. Bernard of Clairvaux whose feast we celebrate today. Bernard, too, had been a wealthy young man. Hearing Christ’s call to leave everything behind and follow Him, Bernard entered the Cistercian monastery. 

He desired only to live a deeply contemplative life, but his many intellectual and spiritual gifts brought him significant roles in the broader life of the Church. Doctor of the Church, Abbot, Advisor of Popes, Reformer of Religious Life – any of these titles fit Bernard today. 

But perhaps the title he would treasure most is the one he first pursued: Follower of Christ.

We do not need to be a monk or a nun to follow Jesus. We simply need to know where our true treasure lies, and to give everything for it.

Music: Follow Me – Casting Crowns

Taste and See!

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Eternal Life, Faith, holiness, Prayer, spirituality3 Comments

Sunday, August 19, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/081918.cfm

Ps34_Honey

Today, in Mercy, in the beautiful first reading from Proverbs, Wisdom builds her house and invites us to turn in to her welcoming door. Picture a lovely cottage, set in a varied garden. You are coming off a long road through the darkness. But Light shines from Wisdom’s doorway, carrying the invitation for refreshment and rest.

But there is a caveat before you partake:

Let whoever is simple turn in here …
she says,
Come, eat of my food,
and drink of the wine I have mixed!
Forsake foolishness that you may live;advance in the way of understanding.

Are we simple enough to become wise? Do we have a heart sincere enough to trust that there is an Infinity beyond our understanding Who loves and invites us from the depth of It’s Mystery?

In our Gospel, Jesus clarifies that He is the door by which we enter into the fullness of Wisdom. When we meet Him in Eucharist, in the deepest simplicity of faith, we pass through the door to Eternal Wisdom – to the sweet, infinite simplicity of God.

Today’s Responsorial Psalm offers us a refrain to thread through our prayer today:

Taste and see the goodness of the Lord.

This is Wisdom’s invitation offered to us in each experience of our day. May we be simple enough to hear it.

Music: Psalm 34 ~ The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir 

Profession of Faith

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Faith, holiness, inclusivity, Jesus, spirituality7 Comments

Thursday, August 9, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080918.cfm

Today, in Mercy, our Gospel reading offers us Peter’s magnificent profession of faith. 

profession Mt16

This profession might cause us to consider our own faith and how we profess it in our daily lives.

I think about that today in the context of my father’s life. Today is his birthday.

My father, gone to God nearly forty years ago, would have been 103 years old today.

He was born in the midst of the World War — called only that, because we never expected a second one.

His 28- year-old mother died when he was just two years old.

He grew up into a Depression which caused  him to cease his schooling at 7th grade and work the farm with the uncle who raised him.

Dad

By the tragic Second World War, he had grown to a man and  would fight in the fields and cities of Europe. He came home with pictures in his head that he would never talk about. And he never traveled again, at least not beyond Wildwood, New Jersey.

With not even a grade school diploma, he was a self-educated man in the skills of plumbing, electricity, painting, paper-hanging, and cement work.  Don’t undervalue this unless you have attempted these tasks yourself!

He was a hard-working, blue collar, salt-of-the-earth man who never owned his home but raised a family whose hearts he owned completely.

He suffered a heart injury at work when he was in his 50s and eventually – despite a valiant struggle – became disabled. After several heart attacks, he died a relatively early death at age sixty-six. In the intervening years, he read, prayed, and loved my mother, brother and me without reservation. He never missed a Sunday or Holy Day at Church. He prayed his devotions and novenas every day. He never put a single person down by his words or actions.

Some may read this short synopsis of his life and think it a little tragic. I read it and remember an everyday saint. He was made so by his resolute faith and trust in God; by his honest, inclusive patriotism, by his immense selflessness, and by his abundant kindness. These traits characterized many of “The Greatest Generation”.  We should never underestimate the contribution of their character to our national historical wealth.

My Dad died completely fulfilled and happy, leaving a heritage of faith, loyalty, generosity and love. That was his profession of faith, and I take great joy in it today. I think in many ways, Dad was a lot like Peter and I like to think of him that way as I pray this morning .

My dear readers, in your own family trees, I hope you are blessed to have such people- rough, tender-hearted heroes who carried you into the fullness of your life. Think of them, learn from them, and bless them today. Be them – if you have the courage.

Dad loved music. Toward the end of his life, this free and beautiful melody was one of his favorites. You might enjoy it as you pray this morning.

Verde ~ Guido and Maurizio DeAngelis

The Tiny Seed of Faith

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Faith, holiness, Jesus, Prayer, spirituality3 Comments

Monday, July 30, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/073018.cfm

Today, in Mercy, Jesus teaches us about faith with the simple parable of the mustard seed. Many of us have never seen a mustard seed — just mustard! 😀 So the short video below is helpful.

The Mustard Tree

Sometimes we feel that our faith is that small, don’t we? 

  • We have so many questions about why evil exists in the world. 
  • We wonder the classic question: Why do bad things happen to good people?
  • The religious foundation of our faith might be shaken by scandals within the Church, and the selfish hard-hearted ness of some who proclaim to be Christian.
  • Sometimes we just feel empty and disconnected from God.

Jesus tells us today to think of the tiniest seed, easily overlooked in the big garden. He says our faith is like that seed. By one small prayer, one small turning toward God, that seed will take root again in us and grow.

Music:  Faith of a Mustard Seed ~ byTwo Or More. (if you need a little “ Wake Up”!)

Simplicity

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Faith, holiness, Prayer, spirituality1 Comment

Wednesday, July 18, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071818.cfm

Today, in Mercy, Jesus thanks his Father for revealing the mysteries of heaven to the “childlike”. The original Greek word means “babies”, “ones who cannot speak”.

One response to this reading is to strive for a childlike faith – open, simple and trusting. But that is not easy. We are sophisticated persons living in a complex world. Many of us having difficulty reclaiming the single-mindedness of children in our thought processes.

simple Mt11_25_27

And yet, in terms of spiritual matters, perhaps we are not all that mature. St. Paul attested to the spiritual immaturity of the early Christians in passages like these:

Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to receive it. Indeed, even now you are not yet able… (1 Corinthians 3:1-2)
For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the mysteries of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. (Hebrews 5:12-13)

So, returning to today’s Gospel, what might we conclude? The ways of God are infinitely beyond our comprehension. Still, we question and parse them as if they were problems to be solved rather than mysteries to be absorbed. Our prayer becomes filled with “Why” instead of “Yes”.

When our faith becomes confused or restless, we must return like a colicky child to our all-wise and loving God, trusting that we will be soothed. In God’s embrace, we will be led deeper in faith, not by sophisticated analysis, but by the simplicity of absolute love.

Music: Simple Gifts (Yo Yo Ma and Alison Kraus)

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Faith, holiness, Mary, Prayer, spirituality2 Comments

Monday, July 16, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071618.cfm

Today, in Mercy, on this Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we consider our devotion to Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Devotion is the honor we we offer Mary and the saints, hoping to imitate their holiness in our own lives. Devotion differs from adoration, which is the prayer we offer to God alone.

Some question the role or efficacy of devotion in our spiritual lives, feeling that the spiritual life is a relationship specifically to God. But for those of us who believe in the Communion of Saints, the power “mentorship” from the saints is unquestionable.

Devotions also play a key role in the early development of our faith. My own faith received abundant nourishment from my mother’s devotion to the Miraculous Medal, and my father’s unending novena to St. Joseph. Even now, in my mature years, I still return to these two devotions when faced with a critical concern.

mt Carmel

Like so many of you, my own young mastering of the Rosary gave me a loving awareness of the evolving life of Christ. And a host of beloved prayers deepened my love of God, including the Prayer before the Crucifix and St. Patrick’s Breastplate. You may want to remember your own favorite devotions – some which you may still use in times of difficulty or uncertainty.

Sacred objects can also support our developing faith – a precious medal, a special statue, a scapular, or a relic. Contemporary religious practice is less focused on these supports, but their value as simple devotional tools is abundantly proven.

What is important to remember is that the value of these devotions and sacramentals lies in their ability to lead us to relationship with God, not in any  “magic” they themselves possess.

For those of us with a special devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, (the Sisters of Mercy included), this is a day to ask Mary’s maternal favor on our lives and world. Picture yourself wrapped in her loving mantle, your deepest needs receive by her maternal heart.

Departure from the Music today – a short reflection on Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Carmelite Order.

Precious to God

On By Renee Yann, RSMIn Courage, Faith, holiness, suffering3 Comments

Saturday, July 14, 2018

Readings: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/071418.cfm

Today, in Mercy, our readings tell us something we already know – living a good, holy life is hard, especially when we are caught in suffering.

Isaiah gets so upset about his unworthiness for it that he cries out, “Woe is me! I am doomed!” But then, after a little angelic intervention, he nevertheless opens his heart to God’s call.

In our Gospel, Jesus says we’re going to run into a lot of darkness as we try to speak Light. He says the darkness could even be life-threatening. That thought is pretty woeful, too, don’t you think?

But then Jesus says somethings so stark, yet reassuring:

  • Do not be afraid of those who can kill the body, but not the soul.
  • Not a single sparrow falls without God’s awareness, and you are worth more than many sparrows.
  • God even numbers the hairs on your head, like a Mother brushing the locks of her beloved child.

In other words, you are beyond precious to God. God will accompany and sustain you as you navigate any darkness.

Mt10_31 sparrow

This morning, I think of those young Thai boys and coach, delivered from the isolating, life-threatening darkness of a twisted, flooded cave. Praise God! 

Their situation may remind us of times we have been overwhelmed by sorrow, loneliness, fear, isolation, or any other kind of pain. God is with us in that darkness. We are never lost to God. Our faith assures us that, like a sparrow held gently in God’s hand, we will be delivered to Light.

Music: His Eye Is on the Sparrow – a vintage selection by George Beverly Shea 

(George Beverly Shea (February 1, 1909 – April 16, 2013) was a Canadian-born American gospel singer and hymn composer. Shea was often described as “America’s beloved gospel singer” and was considered “the first international singing ‘star’ of the gospel world,” as a consequence of his solos at Billy Graham Crusades.)