Almsgiving, Prayer & Fasting - Ash Wednesday, March 9th

Readings for the Day

Gospel: Matthew 6: 1-6, 16-18
Jesus said to his disciples: “Take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father.

When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you pray,do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

“When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you may not appear to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.”

• alms: anything given as charity, something (as money or food) given freely to relieve the poor; money, food or other donations given to the poor or needy.
• Who do I see as they poor?  What do I have that can be freely giving to relieve their needs?
• secret: kept from knowledge or view; marked by the habits of discretion, not acknowledged.
• What are the intentions behind my good deeds?  Who am I hoping to have acknowledge them?
• hidden: being out of sight or not readily apparent (concealed); obscure, unexplained, undisclosed.
• Something hidden, or private, creates intimacy with whomever we do share it.  Who, or with what, do I share my hidden self?  God, my spouse, sinful habits I'm embarrassed to ask for help remedying?

Definitions from http://www.merriman-webster.com/ and http://www.dictionary.com/.

2011 Lenten Connection

I'm sure I'm not the only one who struggles sometimes to pray using the Gospels.  We've heard and read the stories, parables and passages countless times; so many that it can be challenging to find new light and spiritual food.  I try to read the daily readings for Mass, but often find I've forgotton the passage before I've even gotten up from the chair.  Often, there are so many other thoughts swimming in my head, that it's hard to to focus and meditate.

As a personal project this Lent, I will be attempting to use a new "tool" for Gospel reflection.  I'm also looking to friends and family, and their friends and family to open my own horizons; while at the same time hoping to provide an opportunity for "give and take" enrichment  - spread the wealth, right?  

Daily I will be posting the Gospel from that day's Mass; Included will also be a link for all the readings if one has, and wants to, take more time.

At the end of each passage will be definitions for three selected words.  The idea is to read the defitions and then go back and read the Gospel a second, third or even fourth time.  Try to see what new reflection or light you find by focusing on specific elements that jump out at you.  I've found that focusing on a few key words/ideas, it gives new life and light to the whole reading. 

The whole purpose of the Gospel is to bring us into a relationship with God, and learn from Him. Hopefully this format will aid us individually, and as a collective whole.

The key elements are (1) seeking renewed reflections on revisted Bible passages and (2) to sharing and building on reflections with each other by posting a comment.  You never know when your inspiration is meant for more than just yourself - share it and let the Spirit work through you. 

Let's keep each other in prayer as we prepare to journey together this Lent. 

Action and Expression

Tuesday morning was my son's first full day of kindergarten.  I felt a strange quiet, empty feeling for quite some time after arriving to work.  Yes, the quiet was good for staying focused on the project at hand.  And yes, the "emptiness" reminded me I wasn't being bombarded with questions from a 5-year-old mind at 10 minute intervals.  However, for eight hours of that day my son was interacting, learning, playing and doing a myriad of things that I was not a part of...and that marks a passage out of a stage I've loved.  Albeit not a perfect stage, living it as a full-time working mother; but with the flexibility to be there, available for my son and mothering him as my priority. 

The passing into this new stage of parenthood struck me rather profoundly and brought to the surface reflections that all of us, whether parents or not, can benefit from.

That Tuesday morning I was feeling empty because I felt a certain loss of identity as a mom.  However, at the same time, after pushing in to the quiet and empty feeling, I came out on the other side of a renewed larger sense of identity.  We are parents, but not only such.  We are spouses, but not only; employee, friend, volunteer, etc., but not only. 

The moment we identify ourselves with what we do over who we are, we've essentially lost our personal identity.  And even those aspects of who we are that do last our entire lifetime - child, sibling, friend, spouse, parent - need to be a part of our identity even when we're not directly acting in said role.  I'm still a mother even when I'm not actively mothering; still a child even when my parents have passed on.

Identity is largely founded on our relationships with others.  I believe just as important a foundation is our identity in solitude - not related to anyone or anything outside ourselves.  In fact, when we ONLY are what we are to others, we can't enrich any other person very profoundly...because we are dependant on them for our life's meaning.

What about our personal talents, dreams, fears, aspirations?  Where and how do those fit in?  What we do and how we interact with others should be an expression of who we are; a painting of sorts that describes the inner landscape of that area, fenced in and possessed by ourselves alone, that is staked out as our "inner core".

This all sounds a little philosophical, but we need a good dose of existential reflection.  And a good dose can go a long way in practical, daily life. 

Let's end this reflection on a practical note: What activities have I engaged in over the past few days that don't conform to who I am, either personally or relationally?  What activities have I spent time and effort in that are an accurate expression of who I am?  How can I increase those accurate expressions and rectify the non-conforming?

Why and What For?

My summer reading has been mostly comprised of biographies; biographies of sea-faring folk.  Some more in depth posts about these people are coming, but there's an image from one I'd like to use today.


The ocean, and any large body of water for that matter, can blow up a storm out of nowhere.  There's no questioning why it came up all of a sudden.  There's no time to wonder where it came from.  But once it arrives, it arrives.  And with it a call to step up and just do what needs to be done. 


I imagine most of our open water storm survival skills are nil, but in principle, we're all given opportunities (whether we'd like them or not) to step up and just do what needs to be done.  It seems that the recipe for success in these unannounced storms is made up of cool-headedness, an ability to assess the essentials of the situation and address them in a hierarchical order of importance, ready to re-assess and adapt the plan of action as needed.


Close the hatch.  Discover the wind direction.  Lower the sail.  Oh wait, a wave just crashed over the bow, adjust the other sail, etc.


In any crisis situation, the first, more emtional reaction seems to be: Why?  Why me?  Why now?  What's happening and what did I do to bring this on?  That feeling of helplessness can be overwhelming and we just want to gauge what's going on.


But just like the ship's captain, we're not entitled to having that answered; in most cases, it's not even our place to ask.  What matters most - as a matter of life and death, literally and figuratively - is to have the ability to step back, assess the situation and make a plan of action with those few, most essential tasks at hand.


We seem moderately equipped to captain in someone else's storm.  But when it comes to our own...we find ourselves getting ready to jump ship without even thinking about it.  Even though still on a floating vessel, capable of weathering the storm, we lose confidence in our ability to stay the helm.


In the book I'm reading right now, a storm comes up on New Year's Eve.  The three men sailing the vessel take the steps to do what they can, stay flexible and resourceful as each gust of wind brings new challenges - disabled motor, torn sail, etc.  It's amazing, but in the midst of all the action, they find humor in their predicament and actual start to see the storm as an adventure.  They succomb to what is beyond their control and actually begin joking and having a good time fighting the swells and avoiding to crash into the rocky shore.

Instead of wasting their time asking all the whys, they quickly move into finding a purpose in the struggle.  What at first made them fear for their lives became a game of sorts testing their skill and mental reserves.

Despite the many storms that can brew up, and oftentimes blow over just as fast, we have at our fingertips all the resources needed to successfully navigate.  The key element in the scenario mentioned was teamwork.  Each of the three men knew the other was depending on him; no one allowed themselves a moment to slack aware of their vital interconnectness.

Today's "bridge-board": Who are my most dependable crew members when a storm blows in my life?  Am I quick to call them on deck?  Or do I try to weather the waves on my own?  What type of a first mate am I when my friends find themselves in a squall?

Paths and People

I believe that "there are as many paths to God as there are people" (Joseph Ratzinger, aka Pope Benedict XVI).

I hope this blog will be a crossroads where hundreds and thousands of those paths cross. I will share experiences and resources that draw on both faith and the common human experience. All too often it is our differences, not commonalities, that are highlighted.

Though writing under a pen name, I'm openly a practicing Roman Catholic. My spirituality and religion are integral parts of who I am. However, my strongest convictions haven't come from a catechism lesson or sermon I passively received on Sunday.  It has been life experience, my own and of others, study of human nature and psychology, and a delving into what was behind those lessons and sermons that have led me to make my own the ethical and moral principles I try to live by. 

That said, this is not meant to be a religious or evangelization blog.  It is meant to be spiritual.  I have yet to meet anyone who adamently disagrees with our make-up as human beings including both body and spirit, tangible and intangible.  I can't help but share books, reflections and resources that I have found to be of particular wealth; many will be religious or spiritual, many will not.  My goal is simply to help each person reading to begin a process of personal reflection that leads to positive action - in our relationships, both inwardly and outwardly.

The last posting spoke of growth, movement and stagnation.  I do believe it is God's mercy to take us each along a very personal path to Himself, to true peace with ourselves, others and the world around us.  He knows our past, our present and our future...and He sees the seeds of goodness in all of it.  May we begin to see with the eyes of our own hearts and minds, this goodness in ourselves and our lives.

Another "fence-link": What do I see as one of the darkest moments/periods of my life?  Looking at it removed from the immediately associated feelings and emotions, what goodness has this brought to my life since then?  How have those closest to me been positively affected by that experience?