Our hearts go out to all affected by the superstorm Sandy. So many people are hurt or in need, and it's not over yet. Sandy is expected to bring flooding and power outages to those in its wake as it moves farther west. If you are able, please consider making a donation to the American Red Cross to assist those who are displaced, homeless, or otherwise in need.
Here's the link to donate: https://www.redcross.org/donate/index.jsp?donateStep=2&itemId=prod10002
God bless us all in these difficult days.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
Friday, October 26, 2012
Reason for Joy
Life is hard, I know. If we listen to our conversations, we'd probably hear a litany of complaints about work, finances, the kids, our health, the house, you name it. I don't mean to minimize the validity of our concerns. We have genuine problems.
However, sometimes we give those problems disproportionate 'air-time' in our conversation. We give them too much head-time as we mull them over and over in our minds. In so doing, we simply magnify the worry and angst of our problems. Worrying rarely generates helpful strategies for handling issues, but it can surely make it seem as though our live is filled only with trouble.
Not true. There is always something for which to be grateful, for which to praise God's goodness.
My family has been stressed over the outcome of tests one of my sisters recently took. We've been praying hard that the results would not indicate cancer. Today they came back - normal. You can bet we're all smiling. Today, nothing is a problem: my sister is ok.
Sometimes it takes a scare to make us realize how fortunate we are, how gracious God is to us, how very good our lives are. It's better to be thankful without a scare, certainly, but even fearful things serve us, if they drive us to turn God-ward in prayer. The Psalmist gives us God's response:
However, sometimes we give those problems disproportionate 'air-time' in our conversation. We give them too much head-time as we mull them over and over in our minds. In so doing, we simply magnify the worry and angst of our problems. Worrying rarely generates helpful strategies for handling issues, but it can surely make it seem as though our live is filled only with trouble.
Not true. There is always something for which to be grateful, for which to praise God's goodness.
My family has been stressed over the outcome of tests one of my sisters recently took. We've been praying hard that the results would not indicate cancer. Today they came back - normal. You can bet we're all smiling. Today, nothing is a problem: my sister is ok.
Sometimes it takes a scare to make us realize how fortunate we are, how gracious God is to us, how very good our lives are. It's better to be thankful without a scare, certainly, but even fearful things serve us, if they drive us to turn God-ward in prayer. The Psalmist gives us God's response:
When he calls to me, I will answer him;I will be with him in trouble - Psalm 91 v. 15
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Beauty Everywhere
It's a beautiful day here in Niagara: the sky is clear, the sun is shining, the trees are wearing their autumn colors. I hear the blue jays at the feeder, and the squirrels have been busy. Observing the day's beauty, I feel my stress drain away.
What beauty do you see as you look around? It may be that you look upon a busy city street with people hurrying to complete their tasks. You may be surrounded by fields in the midst of their final harvest. You may even be looking out upon snowy vistas, as a friend shared yesterday.
My father was a photographer. As a young child, I enjoyed looking through the photos he had taken for his course. Many were industrial shots that puzzled me. "Can't you see the beauty?" he asked. "Look at them! See the lines of the pipes? Look how this section is dark, while this area is filled with light." Patiently, he showed me what appealed to him in the scenes. He taught me that there is always something beautiful to see if you only look for it.
I was reminded of that when I saw a photograph of an ordinary garage-floor oil slick recently. The photographer had captured the play of colors in the oil against the pale concrete, seeing beauty where many of us (myself included!) would simply have seen something needing to be cleaned.
If we take the time, we will discover much beauty to appreciate and, in that appreciation, we will find our hearts uplifted and our worries eased. Often, though, we do not grant ourselves even that momentary respite from our tasks and concerns. It may seem like a waste of time or an exercise in selfishness.
You may recall having set an especially nice table or done something nice to surprise a loved one. If your loved one failed to notice it or, even worse, glanced at it and dismissed it, you know how hurtful such disappointment is.
God has set before us not a beautiful table but a beautiful world. How sad if we fail to notice it or dismiss it as 'just another autumn day.' I'm not suggesting that our failure to appreciate the world is hurtful to God at all, but why don't we ever considered that taking time to appreciate the world around us may be not only helpful and relaxing but also holy?
Enjoying the beauty God offers is an opportunity to gift God with our loving appreciation for the blessings around us. What could be holier?
What beauty do you see as you look around? It may be that you look upon a busy city street with people hurrying to complete their tasks. You may be surrounded by fields in the midst of their final harvest. You may even be looking out upon snowy vistas, as a friend shared yesterday.
My father was a photographer. As a young child, I enjoyed looking through the photos he had taken for his course. Many were industrial shots that puzzled me. "Can't you see the beauty?" he asked. "Look at them! See the lines of the pipes? Look how this section is dark, while this area is filled with light." Patiently, he showed me what appealed to him in the scenes. He taught me that there is always something beautiful to see if you only look for it.
I was reminded of that when I saw a photograph of an ordinary garage-floor oil slick recently. The photographer had captured the play of colors in the oil against the pale concrete, seeing beauty where many of us (myself included!) would simply have seen something needing to be cleaned.
If we take the time, we will discover much beauty to appreciate and, in that appreciation, we will find our hearts uplifted and our worries eased. Often, though, we do not grant ourselves even that momentary respite from our tasks and concerns. It may seem like a waste of time or an exercise in selfishness.
You may recall having set an especially nice table or done something nice to surprise a loved one. If your loved one failed to notice it or, even worse, glanced at it and dismissed it, you know how hurtful such disappointment is.
God has set before us not a beautiful table but a beautiful world. How sad if we fail to notice it or dismiss it as 'just another autumn day.' I'm not suggesting that our failure to appreciate the world is hurtful to God at all, but why don't we ever considered that taking time to appreciate the world around us may be not only helpful and relaxing but also holy?
Enjoying the beauty God offers is an opportunity to gift God with our loving appreciation for the blessings around us. What could be holier?
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Reassurance
For years I followed a reading plan that took me though the entire Bible each year. Over time, though, I focused on the Gospels and my favorite books of the Old Testament, like Psalms. Today this passage from Psalms caught my eye, and I was struck by the loving reassurance it offers:
So many of us are facing difficult days. Here in Niagara, the High Season has ended and the season of slow business and decreased income has begun. It's scary, when even the High Seasons have been slow these past years.
There are so many scary things in our world: violence, sickness, loss of loved ones, broken relationships. Yet the Psalmist offers us great consolation: though we may face hard days, God will uphold us. I love the last verse, especially. How often have we said such things to encourage others who are fearful? In the same way, the Psalmist understands our struggles and worry and encourages us.
These words have been the strength of generations. I hope they comfort you as they do me.
The Lord makes firm the steps
of the one who delights in him;
of the one who delights in him;
though he may stumble, he will not fall,
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
for the Lord upholds him with his hand.
I was young and now I am old,
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken
or their children begging bread.
Psalm 37:23-25
So many of us are facing difficult days. Here in Niagara, the High Season has ended and the season of slow business and decreased income has begun. It's scary, when even the High Seasons have been slow these past years.
There are so many scary things in our world: violence, sickness, loss of loved ones, broken relationships. Yet the Psalmist offers us great consolation: though we may face hard days, God will uphold us. I love the last verse, especially. How often have we said such things to encourage others who are fearful? In the same way, the Psalmist understands our struggles and worry and encourages us.
These words have been the strength of generations. I hope they comfort you as they do me.
Friday, October 19, 2012
Delight the Lord
Bible verse for today:
Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. Proverbs 12:22
Truth seems cheap these days. Cheating and plagiarism are rampant, from kids in school to young adults in university to even presidential candidates. Copyrights are violated, trademarks are stolen, and lying is regarded as a minor offense, if not a complete non-issue.
But that is the way of the world, and we as Christians are called to something better. Something purer. Something fairer. Something more just. We are called to walk in the light, to be children of Light. We are called to be truthful.
Honesty, integrity - these are important qualities for Christians. The Scripture writer tells us that lying is an abomination, so important is honesty in God's eyes. Be mindful of this when you are tempted to cheat, to take the easy way out, to tell the white lie, or to ignore your child's copied homework. Honesty counts.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
Today's verse is one of my all-time favorites:
He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. - Micah 6:8
We are used to thinking of God as the Eternal Taskmaster, the judgmental old fellow with a clipboard, tallying out misdeeds and the punishments they have earned. Pleasing him requires walking the spiritual tightrope. We've seen people and denominations that place a lot of emphasis on the 'worm-and-no-man' unworthiness and 'all fall short' reminder.
Because we are such disgusting sinners, we are urged to endless vigilance and harsh self-judgment, forever pulling back from freedom and joyful living to the restriction we think will please God. "Think" will please God, note, because such mindsets are quick to point out that God's ways are beyond our knowing, challenging us, "Who can know the mind of God?" They inspire a spiritual uncertainty in our minds.
Wanting, of course, to please God, we strive to obey the rules given us by our spiritual teachers and endlessly examine ourselves. But in Micah, and later in the teachings of Jesus himself, we can find peace. Be just, be merciful, be humble. In response to the gifts and blessings that rain upon us in our lives, God asks so little of us. How gracious is God!
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
A Command
Today's Bible verse: Exodus 20:12
Today would be my father's birthday; we lost him three years ago come Christmas week.
While no one actually gets to 'enjoy' their own wake, my dad had a preview of his when his own father died. They shared the same first and surnames, with only a middle name to differentiate them, so when my grandfather died, many people who didn't know this assumed it was dad who had passed.
I'll never forget the standing-room-only crowd spilling out into the funeral home's parlor when we arrived at Grandpa's wake. You had to push your way through to the casket to the washroom, to the exit...and it wasn't easy because person after person came to my sisters and me to tell us stories of our father.
Dad was an insurance underwriter by trade, a life insurance salesman. He believed term life insurance was a gift that could make a lifetime of difference for a struggling family and that insurance generally was a smart buy. He never made a killing at it though; that was not his plan.
I heard him chuckle one night to Mama about a sale he'd made following up a sales call with his supervisor, Jim (name changed). Jim was always on Dad's back for not selling more and bigger policies (and fat commission checks for them both), not that Dad was ever listening to him. On this occasion, Jim had determined to show Dad how it was done.
They visited a young couple and had coffee in the kitchen, Dad choosing the seat farthest from the couple, behind the supervisor. Jim began his spiel, directing his talk to the young husband, reminding him of all he would want to give his wife were he not cut down by death...and a big fat life insurance could make certain she would have the security and lifestyle he'd want for her. Unbeknownst to Jim, Dad was shaking his head 'no' to almost every point Jim made. The couple refused to buy right then, promising to think over what Jim had said. When Dad signed them up later that week - for a very much smaller policy that would fit easily into their budget - Jim shook his head and congratulated Dad, saying what a difficult sale that must have been.
It actually was, but not for the reason Jim thought: Dad had actually needed to talk the couple down to that smaller policy after Jim's hard-sell push. Jim, he said, didn't bother to consider their circumstances. It was better to have a small policy you can afford than a big one that cramped you financially and which you'd have to let go later, getting no benefit from your payments. Dad's idea was always to have clients get a small policy till their means allowed them to consider a big-dollar-payoff policy with ease.
In Dad's world, the right thing was not to sell as much as possible but to discover the client's needs and sell them what would serve them without blowing their budget. He got sales awards, year after year, but it was on the strength of hundreds of small-value sales to clients who recognized him as a friend.
And he was. The diversity of the people who came that night to pay respects to Mom - black, white, Asian, Hispanic, poor, well-to-do, old and and surprisingly young - were a testament of Dad's fidelity to his principle that a person's race or wealth were only details like eye color, that we were all the same with no one better than anyone else. There were so many people of races other than ours in the crowd. I remember thinking that we were in the wrong room, as these people were not family but strangers to us.
The evening of Grandpa's wake, we heard story after story of how Dad had been there for his friends when they were struggling. "Don't let the policy lapse; you lose everything that way," he'd say and pay their premiums - and sometimes give them money to tide them over. He took vegetables and fruit as payment, eggs and once a puppy (not that Mama was overjoyed on that one). When he visited their homes to collect premiums, he was invited in as a friend to have coffee and talk things over.
"Appreciate your father," one client told us. "He's pure gold." One man, I recall, wouldn't let go my hand, so intent was he on expressing just how much he admired Dad.
Dad never talked about how he felt, greeting all the people who came to pay him their respects - and got to pay them to the man directly instead of his survivors. I hope he was as awed as we were by the sheer number of his client/friends who remembered him (he'd retired by then) and felt his assumed loss so deeply.
And I hope he knows, now that we are indeed his survivors, that we were watching and listening, taking his words to heart. I hope he knows we remember and miss him, and that we are so proud to be his daughters.
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
Today would be my father's birthday; we lost him three years ago come Christmas week.
While no one actually gets to 'enjoy' their own wake, my dad had a preview of his when his own father died. They shared the same first and surnames, with only a middle name to differentiate them, so when my grandfather died, many people who didn't know this assumed it was dad who had passed.
I'll never forget the standing-room-only crowd spilling out into the funeral home's parlor when we arrived at Grandpa's wake. You had to push your way through to the casket to the washroom, to the exit...and it wasn't easy because person after person came to my sisters and me to tell us stories of our father.
Dad was an insurance underwriter by trade, a life insurance salesman. He believed term life insurance was a gift that could make a lifetime of difference for a struggling family and that insurance generally was a smart buy. He never made a killing at it though; that was not his plan.
I heard him chuckle one night to Mama about a sale he'd made following up a sales call with his supervisor, Jim (name changed). Jim was always on Dad's back for not selling more and bigger policies (and fat commission checks for them both), not that Dad was ever listening to him. On this occasion, Jim had determined to show Dad how it was done.
They visited a young couple and had coffee in the kitchen, Dad choosing the seat farthest from the couple, behind the supervisor. Jim began his spiel, directing his talk to the young husband, reminding him of all he would want to give his wife were he not cut down by death...and a big fat life insurance could make certain she would have the security and lifestyle he'd want for her. Unbeknownst to Jim, Dad was shaking his head 'no' to almost every point Jim made. The couple refused to buy right then, promising to think over what Jim had said. When Dad signed them up later that week - for a very much smaller policy that would fit easily into their budget - Jim shook his head and congratulated Dad, saying what a difficult sale that must have been.
It actually was, but not for the reason Jim thought: Dad had actually needed to talk the couple down to that smaller policy after Jim's hard-sell push. Jim, he said, didn't bother to consider their circumstances. It was better to have a small policy you can afford than a big one that cramped you financially and which you'd have to let go later, getting no benefit from your payments. Dad's idea was always to have clients get a small policy till their means allowed them to consider a big-dollar-payoff policy with ease.
In Dad's world, the right thing was not to sell as much as possible but to discover the client's needs and sell them what would serve them without blowing their budget. He got sales awards, year after year, but it was on the strength of hundreds of small-value sales to clients who recognized him as a friend.
And he was. The diversity of the people who came that night to pay respects to Mom - black, white, Asian, Hispanic, poor, well-to-do, old and and surprisingly young - were a testament of Dad's fidelity to his principle that a person's race or wealth were only details like eye color, that we were all the same with no one better than anyone else. There were so many people of races other than ours in the crowd. I remember thinking that we were in the wrong room, as these people were not family but strangers to us.
The evening of Grandpa's wake, we heard story after story of how Dad had been there for his friends when they were struggling. "Don't let the policy lapse; you lose everything that way," he'd say and pay their premiums - and sometimes give them money to tide them over. He took vegetables and fruit as payment, eggs and once a puppy (not that Mama was overjoyed on that one). When he visited their homes to collect premiums, he was invited in as a friend to have coffee and talk things over.
"Appreciate your father," one client told us. "He's pure gold." One man, I recall, wouldn't let go my hand, so intent was he on expressing just how much he admired Dad.
Dad never talked about how he felt, greeting all the people who came to pay him their respects - and got to pay them to the man directly instead of his survivors. I hope he was as awed as we were by the sheer number of his client/friends who remembered him (he'd retired by then) and felt his assumed loss so deeply.
And I hope he knows, now that we are indeed his survivors, that we were watching and listening, taking his words to heart. I hope he knows we remember and miss him, and that we are so proud to be his daughters.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Tuesday, Oct. 16
There's something about autumn. The changing leaves, the lengthening nights, the birds seeking warmer havens... Here in Niagara, the busy tourist season has ended, and only weekends see much activity. Everything is slowing down, quieting, drawing in. It's a season I have always loved.
Today's verse is from John, chapter 14, verse 27:
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.
Is there anything more lacking in today's world than peace? All around us we see anger and fear, stress and conflict. It is easy to get drawn into the world's unhappiness, but Jesus gives us his own peace to uphold us.
And he doesn't give as the world gives - only on certain occasions, maybe, or to a select few or under specific conditions. We needn't be afraid or troubled, ever, because we can always turn to Christ and enter into the peace he offers us.
How? Simply turn your heart and mind to him. Pray, or reflect, or read a spiritual book. Or take a moment simply to be in the divine presence. Just take a step, and God will meet us wherever we are.
Wishing you peace.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Being Joyful
Verse for today:
Shout for joy, you heavens;
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
rejoice, you earth;
burst into song, you mountains!
For the Lord comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
Isaiah 49:13
The Lord comforts us...has compassion on us. What a beautiful truth. If that doesn't lift your spirit, try this:
Wishing you a joyful day!
Monday, October 8, 2012
Happy Thanksgiving!
Today is Thanksgiving Day here in Canada. In keeping with both the theme of the day and St. Francis, whose feast we celebrated last week, I'd like to offer a story told me by a fellow priest I met at an ACW event north of Toronto.
He was at his cottage in the highlands, reading on the front porch, when he heard a rustle. Looking up, he saw a squirrel being chased by a cat. Although he would normally have done nothing more than notice, this time he acted. He put down his book and chased the cat away with a shout. The two animals disappeared and he returned to his book.
He was distracted an hour or so later when he heard another rustle. Looking up, he didn't see the cat again chasing the squirrel as he expected. Instead, it was the squirrel, a nut in its mouth, scampering through the leaves. As the priest watched, it dropped the nut on the step of the cottage, stood there a moment, and then scampered away, leaving the thunderstruck priest behind.
"Was that the same squirrel?" he asked. "I didn't really pay attention to the one I helped. And if it was, why did he leave the nut? Was that gratitude? Do animals even feel gratitude?"
We chatted about squirrels, who usually take and hide nuts rather than leave them in the open. We wondered why a squirrel would do that, as we'd never heard of squirrels behaving that way.We had an interesting discussion about animals and emotions, but none of us could offer any explanation other than that the squirrel he'd assisted had returned with a gift.
Today, as we offer our thanks to God, let us offer a gift to the animals who enrich our lives so much. And it is our hope that your Thanksgiving Day is filled with happiness, love and true gratitude.
He was at his cottage in the highlands, reading on the front porch, when he heard a rustle. Looking up, he saw a squirrel being chased by a cat. Although he would normally have done nothing more than notice, this time he acted. He put down his book and chased the cat away with a shout. The two animals disappeared and he returned to his book.
He was distracted an hour or so later when he heard another rustle. Looking up, he didn't see the cat again chasing the squirrel as he expected. Instead, it was the squirrel, a nut in its mouth, scampering through the leaves. As the priest watched, it dropped the nut on the step of the cottage, stood there a moment, and then scampered away, leaving the thunderstruck priest behind.
"Was that the same squirrel?" he asked. "I didn't really pay attention to the one I helped. And if it was, why did he leave the nut? Was that gratitude? Do animals even feel gratitude?"
We chatted about squirrels, who usually take and hide nuts rather than leave them in the open. We wondered why a squirrel would do that, as we'd never heard of squirrels behaving that way.We had an interesting discussion about animals and emotions, but none of us could offer any explanation other than that the squirrel he'd assisted had returned with a gift.
Today, as we offer our thanks to God, let us offer a gift to the animals who enrich our lives so much. And it is our hope that your Thanksgiving Day is filled with happiness, love and true gratitude.
Friday, October 5, 2012
Animals Know
St. Francis of Assisi not only loved animals, he preached to them. He regarded them as fellow companions on the earthly journey with a respect few can match.
There seems to be a great divide between animal lovers and animal -- disregarders, I 'll call the people who think no more of animals than they do a piece of wood or a rock. Animal lovers often seem to believe that animals have greater understanding and insight than we think, and I agree. Take what happened to me when the cardinals called.
Luckily, when this occurred, a fellow teacher was over at my house; we were chatting over cold colas and having a lovely visit after school. We were interrupted several times by cardinals' noisy chatter - well, racket, actually. Then the bell rang.
The former owner of my home had added a screened porch off the family room where I entertained my guest. He'd installed not only a doorbell but also a decorative bell on a fancy S-scroll hook; it took only a gentle bob of the finger to set it ringing, and my father rarely visited without making that bell ring out.
Going to the door, I did not see my parents as I expected. "Nobody there," I reported to my friend, but I had barely re-seated myself before the bell rang again.
"Perhaps your father is playing a trick," she suggested as I returned to look through the glass. Again, no one was there. "They must be hiding," she laughed, and I went out to the porch as she followed me.
No one was there, but about a foot from the door stood a male cardinal. He squawked as we looked at him. "What is is, Lassie?" I asked, teasingly. "Show us!" We both laughed, but the bird began to hop and squawk wildly, so I opened the door, expecting the bird to fly away. He didn't.
Instead, he hopped a foot or so and squawked. We took a few steps and he did the same thing, leading us, it seemed. We teased and played, following the bird, till we rounded the corner of the house. The bird flew to the fence silently.
What a tableau! Before us lay carnage. The cardinals' nest lay on the ground in pieces instead of perched neatly in an azalea branch where it had been. Beside it, a dead baby cardinal. At the gate, the female perched restlessly, beneath her on the ground, the single surviving baby cardinal crying on the grass. Frozen in place, the neighbour's cat.
I ran the cat off as my friend repaired the nest and replaced it on the bits remaining in the azalea. I was hesitant to pick up the baby cardinal, but as my friend pointed out, they came looking for us, so she was not likely to abandon it. That made sense so I replaced it in the nest. The female instantly joined it, the male perching protectively beside her. I got some seeds and put them at the base of the shrub for easier feeding and we left.
I cannot forget that experience. Even though the birds had never had any closer encounter with me than eating the food I put in the feeders, they....sought my help. When there was trouble, the birds recognized me as a friend. Somehow, they not only knew I would not harm them, but they seemed to turn to me for help when there was danger. That amazed me then and still does.
Of course I kept a careful watch on that nest, and the baby survived to adulthood. And since then, I have found many others with stories far more amazing than my own. Animals know, and I think Francis knew that.
There seems to be a great divide between animal lovers and animal -- disregarders, I 'll call the people who think no more of animals than they do a piece of wood or a rock. Animal lovers often seem to believe that animals have greater understanding and insight than we think, and I agree. Take what happened to me when the cardinals called.
Luckily, when this occurred, a fellow teacher was over at my house; we were chatting over cold colas and having a lovely visit after school. We were interrupted several times by cardinals' noisy chatter - well, racket, actually. Then the bell rang.
The former owner of my home had added a screened porch off the family room where I entertained my guest. He'd installed not only a doorbell but also a decorative bell on a fancy S-scroll hook; it took only a gentle bob of the finger to set it ringing, and my father rarely visited without making that bell ring out.
Going to the door, I did not see my parents as I expected. "Nobody there," I reported to my friend, but I had barely re-seated myself before the bell rang again.
"Perhaps your father is playing a trick," she suggested as I returned to look through the glass. Again, no one was there. "They must be hiding," she laughed, and I went out to the porch as she followed me.
No one was there, but about a foot from the door stood a male cardinal. He squawked as we looked at him. "What is is, Lassie?" I asked, teasingly. "Show us!" We both laughed, but the bird began to hop and squawk wildly, so I opened the door, expecting the bird to fly away. He didn't.
Instead, he hopped a foot or so and squawked. We took a few steps and he did the same thing, leading us, it seemed. We teased and played, following the bird, till we rounded the corner of the house. The bird flew to the fence silently.
What a tableau! Before us lay carnage. The cardinals' nest lay on the ground in pieces instead of perched neatly in an azalea branch where it had been. Beside it, a dead baby cardinal. At the gate, the female perched restlessly, beneath her on the ground, the single surviving baby cardinal crying on the grass. Frozen in place, the neighbour's cat.
I ran the cat off as my friend repaired the nest and replaced it on the bits remaining in the azalea. I was hesitant to pick up the baby cardinal, but as my friend pointed out, they came looking for us, so she was not likely to abandon it. That made sense so I replaced it in the nest. The female instantly joined it, the male perching protectively beside her. I got some seeds and put them at the base of the shrub for easier feeding and we left.
I cannot forget that experience. Even though the birds had never had any closer encounter with me than eating the food I put in the feeders, they....sought my help. When there was trouble, the birds recognized me as a friend. Somehow, they not only knew I would not harm them, but they seemed to turn to me for help when there was danger. That amazed me then and still does.
Of course I kept a careful watch on that nest, and the baby survived to adulthood. And since then, I have found many others with stories far more amazing than my own. Animals know, and I think Francis knew that.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Being Kind to Animals
Today is the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals and those who love them. Often people think that animals don't count for much in the spiritual world. Animals don't have souls, they say, and so regarding them highly, etc., is uncalled-for. Since I've been doing short entries highlighting favorite Bible passages lately, I did a search for Bible verses regarding animals for today's post.
“I now establish my covenant with you and with your descendants after you and with every living creature that was with you-the birds, the livestock and all the wild animals, all those that came out of the ark with you-every living creature on earth.” Genesis 9: 9-10All these years in the church, and I never realized that God's great covenant with us after the Flood was a covenant with not only people but with animals as well. If Loving Creator regards animals this highly, then obviously treating them kindly and with respect is an important part of being Christian.
St. Francis understood this and his example reminds us to treat not only animals but all nature with respect and caring.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Wednesday
Yesterday was October 2, the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels. In the spirit of 'better late than never,' here is a favorite passage from Scripture, this one concerning our heavenly protectors:
If you say, “The Lord is my refuge,”When troubles seem overwhelming, I take great comfort in this passage. I hope it is a help to you as well.
and you make the Most High your dwelling,
no harm will overtake you,
no disaster will come near your tent.
For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
you will trample the great lion and the serpent. Psalm 91:9-13
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Favorites
I've mentioned that I've been under the weather; allergies and a bad cold are making it hard to focus and I know I'm not at my best. For example, I lost the entire blog post I have been working on all morning.
My point was that days like today are good times to share bits of Scripture I've found helpful or inspiring in the hope that others may find them helpful as well.
Here is one of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 29:11.
My point was that days like today are good times to share bits of Scripture I've found helpful or inspiring in the hope that others may find them helpful as well.
Here is one of my favorite verses, Jeremiah 29:11.
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."I love this verse because I was taught a different vision of God, one that was far less loving and caring. God loves us, and this verse expresses God's loving intention to us all. What a comforting verse it has been to me! I hope reading it confirms your confidence in God and brings you peace.
Monday, October 1, 2012
Jesus-Christian
Years ago, when I was teaching in a Roman Catholic school, each class was responsible for hosting several school Masses each year. They would select the readings, write the prayers and intentions, and choose the hymns we'd sing. One song was a particular favorite of the students; we'd sing it again and again. The song was called "They'll Know We Are Christians by Our Love." (Jason Upton)
The song is based on John 13: 34-35, I believe. In this chapter, the Apostles are preparing for Passover. Jesus washes their feet and predicts his betrayal. He tells them that is time is growing short and stresses the importance of his central teaching:
Love is the commandment of Jesus. We cannot follow him or profess to be truly Christian if we do not love each other, friends and enemies alike. Note that he says that everyone will recognize us as Christians not by our words, not by our rituals, not by our affiliation but by one sign: that we love one another.
It's not enough to talk love. We have to act love. We have to BE love. That doesn't mean we have to be mealy-mouthed wimps; Jesus certainly wasn't. But we have to live in a place of love and act from it. When we are united to Christ in Love, we will speak truth, but even our disagreements and conflicts will be marked by respect and caring for the others involved.
As Christians, we will not turn a blind eye to the sufferings and needs of others, but we will reach out to them without strings. We will not seek to control them or limit them, but respect their free will even as they exercise it in ways that are not in keeping with our faith.
Jesus teaches us a love that does not seek to control others but to draw them from the sheer power of the Love that directs our words and actions. It is a far cry from much of the 'love' and Paulianity-Christianity we see demonstrated around us, but that very difference is our strength. They will know we are Christians, indeed, by our love.
The song is based on John 13: 34-35, I believe. In this chapter, the Apostles are preparing for Passover. Jesus washes their feet and predicts his betrayal. He tells them that is time is growing short and stresses the importance of his central teaching:
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”
Love is the commandment of Jesus. We cannot follow him or profess to be truly Christian if we do not love each other, friends and enemies alike. Note that he says that everyone will recognize us as Christians not by our words, not by our rituals, not by our affiliation but by one sign: that we love one another.
It's not enough to talk love. We have to act love. We have to BE love. That doesn't mean we have to be mealy-mouthed wimps; Jesus certainly wasn't. But we have to live in a place of love and act from it. When we are united to Christ in Love, we will speak truth, but even our disagreements and conflicts will be marked by respect and caring for the others involved.
As Christians, we will not turn a blind eye to the sufferings and needs of others, but we will reach out to them without strings. We will not seek to control them or limit them, but respect their free will even as they exercise it in ways that are not in keeping with our faith.
Jesus teaches us a love that does not seek to control others but to draw them from the sheer power of the Love that directs our words and actions. It is a far cry from much of the 'love' and Paulianity-Christianity we see demonstrated around us, but that very difference is our strength. They will know we are Christians, indeed, by our love.
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