Righteousness

I hope everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.

We continue examining the verse from which we take our name:

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Mt. 6:33

What does it mean to seek righteousness? The dictionary tells us that being righteous means acting in accord with divine or moral law (Merriam Webster).

Laws we have in abundance. Leviticus is filled with them, many of which we find abhorrent today, such as stoning people for various offenses. From Moses we get the Ten Commandments, which have guided Christians and Jews for centuries.

You may recall the Scribe asking Jesus which was the greatest commandment (Mk. 12:28-34). Jesus responded by giving them two, the Great Commandments which Christ said were the foundation of all the laws and prophecies. The Scribe, who was a scholar of church law similar to today's canon law lawyers and experts, praised Christ's answer, seeing its truth. Jesus answered him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

We can surmise, then, that the kingdom we seek is comprised not solely of loving God and others. It brings us to the kingdom, but doesn't get us in. The Scribe, who recognized the Law of Love, had only come near to that kingdom. What more, then?

We believe the answer is found in the teaching of Jesus recorded in Matthew, chapter 25:31-46. There, Jesus speaks of the eternal Kingdom of God, the reward promised to the faithful. He instructs the people, explaining how God will divide the faithful who inherit the kingdom from the unfaithful who will not enter it (v. 34-:36): Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ He continues, teaching that we do indeed minister to Him when we reach out to each other.

We take Christ at his word, then, and serve Love by serving others. Whether you call it social justice, righteousness, or simply compassion - we are at our most Christian when we offer help to those who need it.

Cradle Roman Catholics of a certain age may have learned the following Acts of Mercy in school. If you did, this will be a familiar list:

The Corporal Acts of Mercy, those which address the needs of the body, are to

feed the hungry
give drink to the thirsty
clothe the naked
shelter the homeless
visit the sick
ransom the captives
bury the dead.

When our loving obedience to God and compassion to those in need prompts us to reach out through personal service or financial support of those who serve, we believe we, too, are drawing near to the kingdom and righteousness we seek.

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We invite you to join us in praying for the relief of those who have lost so much to natural disasters, particularly those who have been impacted by Hurricane Isaac. Pray with us, too, that this year's hurricane season will see few hurricanes and that they may cause the least harm possible to those in their paths.

jean+

Seeking First

It will come as no surprise to readers to learn that the name of our blog is an allusion to the words of Christ in Matthew, chapter 6: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. (v.33)

Scholars debate how best to understand the meaning of 'kingdom' in the teachings of Christ, but for us, one thing is absolutely certain: Whether that kingdom is of the earth or of the heart, now or at the end of times, the sign of that kingdom is Love.

For the Community Catholic Church, then, it is Love we seek first. We find Love in Creator, who is Love itself. We find Love in the center of Christ's teachings. Love is our destination, as union with God/Love, but it is also our path - the means by which we express and experience that union most deeply. So seeking to unite to divine Love and to express that Love is, for us, seeking the Kingdom of which Jesus speaks.

We humans like to exercise our cognitive function. We like to make things more complicated than they are, to focus on a single aspect of a matter and lose the sense of its place in the whole. Creator, however, is different. Creator makes things simple.

Jesus was clear. When asked which was the greatest commandment, he gave us two: Love God with all your heart, your soul, your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself.

Three thousand years later, we're still trying to figure out what he meant by that. Maybe, just maybe, he meant what he said: Love God completely and love others as you love yourself.

Our understanding is that, whatever the scholars may or may not believe Jesus said or didn't say, the core of Christ's teaching is love. Following those two commandments is the work of a lifetime, particularly in a world where life and love are both cheapened by power and greed.

So, when you read 'Seeking First' each day, we ask you to strive with us to do just that, to seek first how to love through the challenges of our daily life. It seems like such a simple goal, and so easy to offer lipserice to it and stop there. But Christ invites us to commit more fully to creating a kingdom of love in our hearts, our lives, and our communities.

And so, to that end...Seeking First.

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Join us in praying for Louisiana and Mississippi as recovery recovery from the ravages of Isaac begins, particularly for the workers trying to stabilize the Percy Quin dam, and the Philippines dealing with the earthquake aftermath.

jean+

Wisdom

And finally, we come to the end of the Serenity Prayer:  And the wisdom to know the difference.

It's significant that wisdom is the final request of this prayer.  Wisdom is one of the most powerful gifts we can ask of the Holy Spirit.  Wisdom saves us from needless heartache and foolish missteps.  And when it comes to changes we want to experience - or avoid - in our lives, wisdom is a priceless gift.

Knowing which changes lie within our power to create and which do not can be confusing.  I wonder how much time I've wasted over my life trying to make changes that were not mine to make at all.

I am mindful of the woman I spoke of yesterday, trying so hard to make her marriage last when of course she couldn't.  Her husband didn't want to make the change necessary to allow the marriage to continue, so her efforts were doomed to failure.

His attitude toward her and the marriage were not within her control.  She achieved peace only when she changed what was under her control: herself.

How much grief do we experience over things we cannot control?  We hear of a sad story somewhere in the world and grieve, ruining our day.   We observe an act of unfairness and stew over it, simmering with anger and resentment.

Compassion and justice demand that we act, and yet we cannot send the flood back into the sea or force politicians to speak truly and act justly.  Wisdom allows us to find meaningful actions to take and powerful ways to witness so that we can preserve our serenity even as we courageously follow in the footsteps of Christ.

Instead of grieving, we make a donation to whatever agency helps those whose suffering breaks our heart.  Perhaps we do what we can to draw the world's attention to their plight.  We pray, always, for their relief.

When we see injustice, we respond as we are able.  We speak the truth without compromise.  We cry foul again and again.  We join with others to create a powerful witness, refusing to be silenced.  We pray, of course, for justice for all.

When we come to the limit of our power, we let go, trusting that our efforts work for good even when we cannot see it.   And knowing that they do, that even our most apparently-futile efforts bear fruit somehow, some way, is true wisdom.

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Regarding Hurricane Isaac:
We ask that you join us in prayers for the people of Louisiana and Mississippi as they deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac.  This link will take you to the Red Cross donation page, where you can earmark your donation for Hurricane Isaac relief. 
jean+

Courage

Continuing with the Serenity Prayer, then, we look at the next line:  Courage to change the things I can


Change.  Is there anything we resist more strongly?  Probably most of the people who come to me are motivated by changes in their lives - changes they want to evade, changes they want to implement, changes they fear. Often, the situation they wish to improve has been worsened by their resistance to the changes that are facing them. 

I am reminded of a woman whose husband wanted a divorce.  She fought him every way she could.  She tried to save the marriage, but he was unwilling to do so as he felt he belonged with another woman.  By the time she came to me, she was exhausted mentally and physically.  Her stress level was through the roof.  She was feeling unhappy and hopeless as she posed her question to me: What must she do to save her marriage?

She described her daily life - the fighting, the tears, the simmering resentment of their teenaged child who wanted all of it to be over and was ready for the father to leave. I asked her to consider what would happen if she were unable to prevent the divorce, to picture what her days would be like.

It was an interesting exercise for her, as she'd been so invested in the status quo that she had failed to consider any other way of living.  She considered her child's greater peace and her own as she gave up the fight.  She considered living in a condo or apartment instead of their large, luxurious home.  She considered returning to school to study an area of great interest.  She left with a different perspective, free of the desperation that had prompted her visit.

After prayerful reflection, she agreed to the divorce and received a fair settlement.  When I spoke to her again, a year or two later, she had sold the house, relocated with her child, and had completed a course of study for licensing in a field she enjoyed.  She was far happier than she had been in many years.

I have observed the same thing in my own life - when I embraced a change I initially resisted, I discovered the good it brought to me. Like my friend, I found I was far happier after the admittedly uncomfortable transition than I had been for some time.

It takes courage to embrace the new in our lives because we instinctively fear what is unknown.  We cling to known pain because it is familiar.  We know we can deal with it.  When the new appears on the horizon, we are filled with concern.  Will we be able to handle it?  What if we don't like it?  What if we do?

Yes, what if we DO?  Even small changes contain the seeds of great transformation.  A hobby can reveal a talent that takes us into new territory, and that possibility can give us pause.

But whether we fear failure or success, regardless of how we resist, change comes to us all.  How can we navigate our life's course gracefully?

With grace, of course.  By acknowledging God with us as we journey on, we can find peace as we need move steadily forward. Like all things, change works for good in our lives if we trust God.  When we actively search for the good in the changes that present, fear loses its grip.

Over time, as we invite God into our transitions - not to help us avoid them but to help us understand them - we learn to trust the flow of life.  We learn to live with change, and even though we may never become fully comfortable with it, we can celebrate God's goodness being revealed through the changing landscape of our lives. 
jean+

Continuing with the Serenity Prayer....

Today we take a look at the second line: to accept the things I cannot change. 

The popular philosophies today stress personal power to create and change our lives.  I certainly agree that we have tremendous power to do just that, and yet...there are indeed things we cannot change.

I remember a time, long ago, when I was a member of what we called a ‘spirit-filled’ or ‘charismatic’ prayer group at my church.  Having received the baptism of the Holy Spirit, we were taught that our faith could indeed move mountains.  When the mountains remained in place, we were chastised for our lack of faith.  Older and hopefully wiser, I know now that those who chastised us had been poorly taught, but at the time, it was horrifying to be told that had my faith been stronger, this or that person would have received the answer we’d prayed they might. 

Some things we cannot change.  It’s that simple.  The one who doesn’t love us cannot be forced into ardor.  The job we have lost is gone, given to another or eliminated entirely.  The pain we feel is genuine.  The friend or loved one persists in that which we would have them stop doing. We cannot fix the situation, and we cannot demand it change to our satisfaction.

Everything in us wars against such ideas.  We want to jam that square peg into that circular hole by sheer force of will.  We will NOT accept this, we cry in our souls. 

Now we need that serenity the Prayer asks of God, the peace that reminds us that the unhappiness of the moment is just that: the feeling of a moment.  Moments pass, and if we allow it, so does our pain.  How can we achieve this blessed peace? 

Prayer, of course, is one path to peace.  As we pour out our hearts to God or, perhaps even better, simply present ourselves before that loving God in wordless union, peace may come. 

We can live in hope, trusting that good things come to those who wait on the Lord.  We can trust that even in the unhappy moment, God is with us, working for good. 

Perhaps the most radical path to the peace we seek is surrender.  We simply yield.  “Let go, let God,” as the saying goes.  “Thy will be done.” 

It is hard to give over so completely.  Who wants to yield to the will of another, even when that other is God? 

But oh, what blessed relief when we quit fighting a battle we cannot win!  The freedom we gain through surrender has a sweetness all its own, a sweetness we can never know until we finally yield to Power greater than ours.
jean+

A New Day

Just after that last blog post was published, things began moving for the church.  Wonderful things are happening for the Community Catholic Church, but they do take some time and energy to support.  Sadly, this blog had to be set aside to use the time in other ways for the good of the church.  The first major event is behind us, however, so it is time to get back to this blog.

Yesterday was our Synod meeting in which our clergy gather to review the past year.  Spending time with the other CCC clergy is always a great pleasure, and yesterday's Synod was no exception.  Our Synod, however, was only one of the events of the day.

During our opening Mass, con-celebrated  by Archbishop Pat and Archbishop Deb, I was ordained to the holy priesthood.  Following a brief reception, the community met with Bishop Michael Shaw and received him into the church.  To say the church is delighted to welcome Bishop Michael is an understatement.  He is a true man of God, serving Christ in the poor, the sick, and the homeless.

We look forward in the coming months to more happy changes for our church!  In the meantime, please do keep us in your prayers, as you are in ours each day.

jean+

The Still Small Voice

God, grant me the serenity

To accept the things I cannot change

Courage to change the things I can

And the wisdom to know the difference.

This little prayer is truly life-changing when you think of it.  Not only is it the foundational prayer for all the 12-step groups, it can be a prayer that can assist each one of us in our daily lives.  It is simple.  It is effective.  It is inspired.
Over the next few blogs, I will offer a reflection on how the use of this prayer can transform our every day world, how we can be empowered and stronger people because of its brilliant message.
Today, we begin with that first phrase:
"Lord, grant me the serenity"
Think about your life for a moment.  Would you say that you feel peaceful and calm?  Are you free of worry and fear?  Are things going along the way you'd hoped?
If you are like most of us, there are stresses and stressors at play right now.  It could be that you are worried about your job.  Perhaps you are feeling that your primary relationship is in need of work.  Money, health, family concerns....  there are very few of us who are living in a blissful state. :)
We long for that feeling of serenity - the absence of the push of fear in our stomach and the calm that comes when we are feeling peaceful and confident.  It often feels elusive as we toss about on the waves of circumstances and situations flowing our way.
We live in a very unsettled world filled with uncertainties.  As we hear the news and the plight of those who are experiencing war, struggle, violence, disease, discrimination and challenges, we can feel helpless and powerless. Peace in our world seems a long way off.
But there are ways that we can recover a sense of happiness and serenity even in the face of our greatest fears.  We can invite peace into our lives even when we feel attacked and powerless.
We all know people who somehow transcend the most challenging circumstances.  They share that the dread disease they experienced was a gift, or the loss they suffered gave them new perspective and insight they'd have otherwise missed.  They have serenity even looking at the lion's mouth.  They have peace even though danger seems ever-present.
How do they do it?  How can they maintain this perspective when all seems dire or uncertain?  How can they trust when all seems lost.

They know the value and the secrets contained within this little prayer as they untangle the flotsam and jetsom of their circumstance.  They have discovered peace and serenity.  And they know that with God, all things are truly possible.
And they are.  For you too!  Join me as we continue to unravel the lessons for us in this prayer.
+Deborah