High Altitude

High Altitude



 

"This is my Son,my Chosen, listen to him!"

  Gospel for the Second Sunday of Lent: Luke 9.28-36

As Catholic educators in Alberta, we are blessed with a wonderful opportunity to have our faith renewed every spring. The Alberta Catholic School Trustees Association hosts the Blueprints Conference for administrators, as well as the SPICE  Conference for teachers and support staff. ( For more information, go to http://www.acsta.ab.ca/).

These are great moments of uplift and renewal. While the speakers and the networking with colleagues and friends are keys to the experience, so too is the environment- the beautiful mountains, valleys and streams of Kananaskis. There is something undeniably spiritual about being there. I could always expect a profound experience.
There was something else I could expect as well, which frustrated and bemused me at the same time. I would come home to try and explain to my wife about the experience, and all that I had learned. The conversation was always passionate, deep, emotive- and one-sided. Shirley would chide me to "come back to reality". The spiritual "high altitude" needed to be tempered with a vision of where it placed me in the world of the everyday.

This week's Sunday Gospel tells a similar story. While the focus is on the revealed glory of Christ  (which we celebrate again on the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6th), let's look at what is happening with Peter.

Poor Peter. Always ready to jump in, and not really knowing what is going on. As he and his companions are witnessing this miraculous appearance of Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus, he decides that this would be a good time to set up some tents and camp out! Sounds crazy! Was Peter suffering from altitude sickness?

What Peter is experiencing is an epiphany- a sudden realization that he is in the presence of God. By asking to put up tents, Peter is really saying "Let's stay here forever! I don't want this experience to end!"

And then the real epiphany moments begin to happen. First, as at Jesus' baptism, they hear the voice of the Father saying 

"This is my Son,my Chosen, listen to him!"



Just as Christ is obedient to the Father, so they (and we) must be obedient to the Son.

Secondly, after they heard the voice of God, they look up and find Jesus alone. They will now leave the mountain, and head for Jerusalem, and on to Calvary, where Jesus will suffer his death, in obedience to the will of the Father, alone.

Peter and his companions will say nothing of their epiphany "in those days". Why not? Probably because they had no words to describe what happened, and could only begin to express it after they were filled with the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

Coming down from the mountain changes us. Hearing the voice of God can "transfigure" us. When we encounter the Risen Christ, people will notice the difference.

And when we go through the dark valleys of our lives, we know that the next mountaintop is not far away.

FOR THIS WEEK
1. Think about a time when you had a very deep spiritual experience. Maybe it was a powerful worship service, the birth of your children, or a time alone in nature. Dwell in the sights, sounds and feelings of that moment. How were you changed?
2. Do you think people recognize that you are a follower of Christ by your words, and most importantly, your actions? Ask Jesus to help you be a more "intentional" disciple.
 

The Devil Made Me Do It...

Reflection on the Gospel for the 1st Sunday of Lent (C)

"Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil."  

(Luke 4.1-13)

Folks of a certain age (namely my own) will recognize the title of today's post as an oft-used, comical expression of an age old human sin - the denial of responsibility for sinful actions. Today, we use different terms, not so comical:

"She is a victim of a dysfunctional family."

"He can't help it, it's because of his sex/food/drug/booze/addiction."

"It's in my DNA..."

Now, I'm not for a minute suggesting that people can control their addictions, or that genetics and environment don't have a huge impact on personality. What I am saying is that our society is trapped in determinism, and essentially denies one of God's greatest gifts to us... free will.  Like Jesus, if we truly allow the Holy Spirit to lead us, we can avoid the temptation of the three mega-temptations referred to in Luke's Gospel.

What exactly are these temptations that Luke describes in his gospel? Are they just about Jesus? Consider each one carefully as they might appear in your own life...

1.  "The devil said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become a loaf of bread.'"  Luke 4.3
FOR JESUS: The first of the temptations for Jesus is to use his divinity to alter reality for his personal satisfaction. Tempting indeed - fulfilling a basic need to eat! But remember, the Spirit led him into the wilderness. Jesus, obedient to the call, would not- could not- be distracted from his mission, even though he could have taken an easier path.

FOR US: This temptation is not about desires of the flesh as much as it is the temptation to be distracted. And most of the time we choose our distractions. I choose to watch TV rather than pray or do service work, because, hey, I need a break, I work hard etc. etc. etc. When Jesus says we do not live by bread alone, he is referring to the fact that he ( and we) are here for something bigger. And it is not about us.

2. " The devil led him up and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world... " Luke 4.5-7
FOR JESUS: Here, the temptation is power, and for Jesus, wouldn't it make his mission so easy if he was on top of the heap. Again, what a temptation! Once Jesus is out of the desert, he would encounter so many followers hoping he would be the Messiah to rid them of the Romans and establish the glory that was Israel. From there, he could rule the world! 
But that was not why he was sent. In fact, it is in Luke's Gospel that we read of the birth of the entirely different King, born in a stable. And he would die completely powerless on the cross. Yet, in that weakness was his glory! No matter what, he would remain obedient to the will of the Father, and not pay homage to the devil of earthly power.

FOR US: It's not hard for us to see how power corrupts the rich, the famous and the political. But do we reflect on our own power? Put another way, think about the gifts that we have been given by God. Are there times when we have used our position in life to keep others down, or to simply ignore them? Still another temptation is to be envious of those in authority, or blaming them for all our woes. The temptation to fall in love with power pull us away from our call to be disciples, and to serve as Jesus did.

3. "...If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, for it is written, 'He will command his Angels concerning you, to protect you..."  Luke 4.9-10
FOR JESUS: The last of the temptations is clearly the most difficult. Here we have the devil quoting Scripture to make the case for Jesus to entirely put his trust in God- surely this is part of his mission? But here's the problem- there is a temptation to put his relationship with his Father on his terms. This is a temptation of presumption and control. During his mission and ministry, Jesus will go and pray to the Father constantly. His prayer life is summed up in the Garden of Gethsemane- " Not my will, but yours."

FOR US: Probably the hardest lesson for us to learn as a disciple ( especially for us who are teachers) is this : we are not in control. If we learn this lesson well, our spiritual lives, and our life in prayer, will deepen and grow. Ask yourself- is my prayer life a series of distress calls and wish lists? Do I have an image of God as Santa Claus? Certainly the Church reminds us that prayers of petition are important, and Jesus himself says to "knock and the door will be opened." But which door? Do we get angry when God "doesn't answer our prayers"? Think about the structure of the Eucharist,  which in itself means thanksgiving.  There are prayers of petition, but they do not presume control of the will of the Father.

Three temptations at the core of our spiritual life. Follow Jesus, and your journey through the Lenten season will be abundant in his grace.

For this week...
Spend some time in evening prayer reflecting on how you may have been tempted by distraction, power and control. Invite the Lord to help you. Make a pledge to celebrate the Sacrament of Reconciliation in your parish this Lent.

 

 

Starting up The Bus

Starting up The Bus...

 February 11, 2013.

..."Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, and talking with each other about all these things that happened..." Luke 24.13-14

Transitioning Vocations

As many of you know, I retired from my position as Religious Education Coordinator of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Schools this past June. "Retired" is the official term for receiving a pension after 30+ years of service, but I prefer to think of it as a "transition" of my vocation. 

So after a busy fall of acreage living, teaching courses at Newman College and being involved in archdiocesan and parish life, things began to slow down enough here in February to commit to something that I wanted to do since September write a weekly blog. 

I want to write something similar to what I was doing at STAR Catholic; namely, a reflection on Sunday Mass readings that would give readers a focus for the rest of the week. Although my intended audience is for all Christian disciples, my focus will be for Catholic educators- those who spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to children, young adults and their own family, friends and peers.

So I decided (or did the Holy Spirit decide it for me?) to start today.

And as I began to write this, I got a call from my wife Shirley (also retired, but somehow teaching everyday this week). "Go turn on the news or the Internet! Pope Benedict just resigned!!"

Turns out our Holy Pontiff has decided that he can no longer do the work of leading 1.2 billion Catholics, due to his failing health.

The media, and many in the Church, including his closest advisers, express shock. And it is surprising - for the past 600 years, popes have died in office.

But Benedict XVI has been a surprising pope. When all thought he would be the stern, hardline Josef Ratzinger, Benedict turned out to be a wise, loving and open Pope. His writings and preaching will stand the test of time.

And now he has "transitioned" his vocation. He will now devote the rest of his life to contemplation and prayer for the world.

Why the Bus???

 Naming the Blog

 A few years back I did some presentations on Catholic school leadership and staff faith formation. The presentations became an article published in Celebrate!  magazine, entitled "The School Bus on the Road to Emmaus." These two images reflect the reality of the mission and vision of our Catholic Schools. The bus is the everyday life of the school - teaching, leading, coaching, disciplining, and ultimately loving. This is true for all schools, Catholic or not...

Why Emmaus?

  Luke 24.13-35 tells the story of the two disciples, weighed heavily by the death of Jesus, and on their way to Emmaus to escape their pain (Emmaus was the Vegas of their time). On their way they encounter Christ although they don't recognize Him, and beg Him to stay after He breaks open the Word to them. They finally recognize Him  in the Breaking of the Bread.
This is the story of every disciple. This is our story. And as we drive along this road, we will recognize that we need to turn the bus around and witness to the Good News, because our "hearts are burning within us."

For This Week ...
1. In the evening after supper, or before you sleep, recall the events of the day. Ask yourself, "when did I encounter Christ today?" (notice that the question does not ask "if"!!) Commit to this practice as a part of your evening prayer.
2. Pray for the Pope, the Church and the faithful in this time of change. ask the Holy Spirit for an increase in wisdom and peace for all of us.