jim henson

I haven't done a Scripture Saturday in quite a while and was inspired to do one today.

The Gospel reading for Mass on Friday was the parable of the wise and foolish virgins.  I never fully understood that one.  Why would Jesus not want the wise virgins to share?  It never completely made sense to me until it was explained today.

The oil in the lamp represents our faith.  We are each responsible for "filling" our own "lamp".  No one else can do it for us.  This is why we need an adult faith and can not continue to ride on the coat tails, so to speak, of our family's faith.

In this difficult world, when we are constantly bombarded with anti-Christian messages, we desperately need to make sure our lamps of faith are filled.  We can NOT rely on doing the minimum, or worse, rely on someone else's faith--either our parents', spouse's, priest's, or anyone else's.  We are each responsible for making sure our lamps are filled with the "oil of gladness"  (Hebrews 1:9).  We have been confirmed and have received the Holy Spirit who can pour out God's healing oil on us to keep our lamps of faith filled to the brim.  This is the oil of joy--the joy that should fill our spirit because it is a free gift from God.

I will turn my mind to a parable, with the harp I will solve my problem. ~Psalm 49

I came across this Scripture verse during Evening Prayer a couple of weeks ago and I really love it.  Since civilization's infancy, we have looked to art, poetry, literature and music to "solve (our) problems."  Part of the continued relevance of the Bible lies in the fact that it is Truth told in poetry and story.  


Jesus knew the effectiveness of getting one's point across in stories, and told countless parables to the people. 


The Psalms are ancient poetry which cries out to God, giving voice to our deepest longings, darkest sorrow and most transporting joy.  In all of these, God is central and is made a part of the writer's everyday life.  How could it be otherwise? 

O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king ~Psalm 21:2

This verse from today's Office of Readings hit me this morning.  How many of today's political "rulers" take joy in the strength of God rather than in their own political strength?  How many people in positions of power of any type, do what is truly right by God's standards instead of what will keep them in power and help them save face?

How many of us who are not in power demand what is right from those who are?  How many of us settle for the status quo?

Pray for those in power, in government, business and in the Church.

Lent is a time when we are encouraged to face our sins squarely and confess them.  God tells Isaiah to "Shout for all you are worth (to) proclaim their faults to my people".  In the New Testament, James tells us "Confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another, and this will cure you."

Facing our faults and making amends for them will cure us of the suppressed hatred that we often turn on ourselves in the form of depression, anger and mistreatment.  Truly digging deep, truly going after our most entrenched sins takes time, but is well worth the freedom that results.  

We cannot confess our sins, in whatever form that may take, without facing them squarely.  This is often awkward and painful.  But, Lent is not meant to make us hang on to our sins in an obsessive way.  Once we face them, we confess them, make amends and move on.

A modern example of this is the 12 steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. In Step 4, we make a "searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves."  That is what Lent calls us to do.

Step 5 asks us to  "admit to God, ourselves and another human being, the exact nature of our wrongs."  I'm amazed at how Catholic this is.  Yes, God knows our sins.  But, we need to say, out loud, to another human being "the exact nature of our wrongs."  It is too easy otherwise, to make excuses and rationalize why we need this unhealthy behavior to continue.

In Step 6, we should be "entirely ready to have God remove these defects of character."   It won't happen until we are ready.  It won't happen until we swallow our pride and admit to God that we need His help.

Step 7 says that we should "humbly ask God to remove our shortcomings."  This brings to mind the Act of Contrition that we are asked to say after confessing our sins.  We talk directly to God and let Him know we are truly sorry and with His help, we won't put ourselves in sin-inducing situations again.

In Step 8, we "make a list of all persons we have harmed and become willing to make amends to them all." Notice we have not yet made amends to anyone.  This is a process that is done little by little.  Perhaps having a 40 day penitential season makes sense!

In Step 9, we make direct amends except where it would injure someone.  This doesn't take place until the 9th step.  Also, our spirituality is not so rule-based that we are required to injure another in order to "cure" ourselves.  We are always other-focused because all are children of God.

Step 10 reminds us to continue to take inventory and to make amends.  This is a journey.  Lent is often compared to Christ's journey in the desert, which was also 40 days, where He was tempted by Satan.  We are on a life-long journey to deification--becoming like God.

Becoming holy is a life time process.  The wisdom of the Church's Lenten season has been recognized by the 12 step programs across the world and continues to change people's lives today.

In Friday's Gospel, Jesus and His disciples were traveling from Bethany to Jerusalem and see a fig tree "in leaf".  The tree looks healthy, and, being hungry, Jesus walks up to it to see if there were figs there.  When none are found, Jesus curses the fig tree, which the disciples later notice, withers away "to the roots".

Are we like the fig tree--showy and in full leaf so that at a distance we look the part, but upon closer inspection, just as "fruitless" as those persons whom we despise as being evil and "less than"?  Do we make sure to have all the outward trappings of virtue and faith, only to treat others as badly as we ourselves feel that we are treated by them?

In reply to the disciples' amazement at the withering of the fig tree, Jesus does not give them a list of things to do in order to be fruitful.  Instead, he tells them to forgive whatever you have against anyone.  *That* is what it is to begin to bear fruit.

Love as Jesus loved.

He who practices virtue and speaks honestly, who spurns what is gained by oppression, Brushing his hands free of contact with a bribe, stopping his ears lest he hear of bloodshed, closing his eyes lest he look on evil--He shall dwell on the heights, his stronghold shall be the rocky fastness, his food and drink in steady supply.

~Isaiah 33: 15-16

We are called to remain unaffected by the world. This is not an easy task. Isaiah tells us those who close their eyes and ears to violence and evil will have a sure foundation on which to lean.

Today, our culture is surrounded and indeed, infused with advertisements, which are nothing but lies in an attempt to influence us, not only to purchase certain products, but to have particular world views.

Instead we should cultivate peace.

In his letter to the Philippians, Saint Paul tells us,

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
~Philippians 4:8

Cultivate the peace and love of God by meditating on His Love and asking Him to allow us to be vessels of that love to others.

Friday's first reading at Mass was the story of the Tower of Babel.  God looks down on mankind and sees that they all speak the same language and are building a tower to heaven.  The scripture says they want to make a name for themselves.

God realizes there will be nothing too hard for them to do and comes down and confuses their language and thwarts their plans.

It is amazing to me that mankind has been trying to use what arguably may be called "technology" since time immemorial, to overreach.  Hubris, apparently, was something we acquired at the Fall. In our own lifetimes we have seen society put complete trust in man's ability to invent and "technologize away" any ill or misfortune that befalls us.

What invariably occurs, however, is that new challenges continue to confront us.  As Jesus warned us, the poor are always with us, and death remains the great leveler.

What is necessary, what will remain a folly, a stumbling block and a scandal to many, is reliance on God--indeed, praising and thanking God no matter what befalls us is the key to living as a Christian (forgiving everyone everything being the other.)

We are not on earth to conquer natural law.  We are on earth to grow in the love of God--to become precious stones, reflecting the brilliance of our Creator, by being tumbled against our fellow creatures in the everyday-ness of life.

Hat tip to Orthodox Father Stephen for his moving and articulate thoughts on thankfulness and forgiveness.

 Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body.  “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry,  and do not give the devil a foothold. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.  Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.
Ephesians 4:25-27, 29, 31-32

This important passage from Ephesians admonishes us to change our lives in keeping with our vocation as Christians.  It is something we all need reminding of frequently and it is something we need to keep front and center in our prayer intentions--that we respond to the grace we are given to live out our lives in Christ.

Do not neglect hospitality,
for through it some have unknowingly entertained angels.
~Hebrews 13:2

Friday's Gospel tells us the importance of hospitality, hearkening back to the story of Abraham and his wife, Sarah entertaining the three young men who turned out to be angels from God.

Hospitality is very revered in the Middle East, where the climate is harsh and unforgiving. It could literally be life-saving if a person offered a traveler hospitality and it was expected of all--even if the person was a stranger. Today, true self-giving through hospitality is rare, I think. How many of us are truly hospitable without any attachment to the outcome for us?

In addition to the common vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, the Little Sisters of the Poor take a fourth vow of hospitality. They promise to serve their elderly residents, paying attention not only to their physical needs but their spiritual needs as well.

St. Jeanne Jugan founded the Little Sisters in Saint-Servan, France in 1842 at the age of 50. She began taking in elderly women who needed care into her 2 room apartment. Today there are Little Sisters in 31 countries serving the elderly poor and modeling hospitality to us all.

As Lent draws near, let's think of the ways in which we can show our hospitality to those in need this year.

Today's Scripture Saturday is taken from Psalm 87, prayed for night prayer on Friday night, as the streets of Egypt were filling with protesters, defying their government's curfew.


Please pray for all the people of Egypt!!

This is a very difficult time to be in the Church. More and more we are being made aware of the horrible failings of those within the Church who we are meant to trust.

Thursday morning I was on Universalis, ready to read the morning prayer, when "something" told me to read the Mass readings instead. The first reading from Hebrews stood out.

To suit us, the ideal high priest would have to be holy, innocent and uncontaminated, beyond the influence of sinners, and raised up above the heavens; one who would not need to offer sacrifices every day, as the other high priests do for their own sins and then for those of the people, because he has done this once and for all by offering himself. The Law appoints high priests who are men subject to weakness; but the promise on oath, which came after the Law, appointed the Son who is made perfect for ever.

To suit us, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, the ideal high priest would have to be blameless and beyond the influence of sinners.  No one in the Church is such a person.  We all are born and live out our lives in the world. Today, more than ever, there are strong influences against acting from the love and grace of God.  It is crucial to our walk with Christ to remember that we all struggle to live up to the standards of heaven.  It  is not healthy to base our faith on earthly people--even holy ones.

We are all on a journey to oneness with God; becoming like Him.  As long as we are on this earth, all of us will struggle and fall--even saints.  The people in the Church, both clergy and laity, are human beings. The pope is a human being. Human beings can and often do, do things ranging from the stupid to the cruel.  But we all have the same Father in heaven and we all have the same chance to accept God's Grace and Mercy and grow in holiness.

Jesus is the eternal High Priest. Cling to Him and do not be discouraged  or surprised by reports of others' failings, or, even your own.

Both this week and last week's Gospel reading for Sunday are about the Baptism of Jesus.  Last week, we heard God the Father's voice come from the clouds saying This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to him.

Who do we seek to please? Whose voice of approval are we listening for?

It is so easy to hunger and thirst after others' approval and to strain to listen for that verbal "pat on the back" from a society whose values we are trying not to follow! It is hard to feel like the lone person in the wilderness, but, perhaps that is why Jesus, and many after Him, have gone into the desert before public ministry.

We need to withdraw from the world and its impossible expectations in order to focus on and please God.  There will be times when we feel, like Jesus, like the Israelites, like John the Baptist and like the early monastics, that we are alone in the desert.

Using a basic "rule" of prayer is a good start to keeping fed spiritually so we don't find ourselves running after "food that does not satisfy."  We need to "hunger and thirst for righteousness," which can only be found in God.  His is the Voice that we will hear if we listen closely enough and call out.

That is also why community is so important.  We are blessed in this country with freedom of religion and freedom of assembly.  We can worship with others and not have to go it alone.  The internet is also a good resource for prayer and community.

Go into the desert--away from the temptations and strife of the world.  But, remember, you are never alone.  You are there with Jesus.

This weekend's second reading shows us how God worked in St. Peter's life to change his mind about an issue he thought he knew all about--eating meat considered unclean.  As a devout Jew, there were types of animals that Peter was not allowed to eat.  As a Christian, Peter continued to follow that tradition as well as the Jewish tradition of circumcision.  Paul's letter to the Galatians tells us that Peter had refused to eat with gentiles after pressure from Jewish Christians.  He must have felt very conflicted as to what God's will was in regards to these laws he had followed all his life.

In the verses prior to this weekend's second reading, Peter has a vision. The Spirit shows Peter a number of the earth's animals and asks him to eat them.  Peter refuses three times because they are "unclean".  (Notice the parallel to Peter's 3-time denial of Christ and his later 3 time profession of love.)

God sends a Roman centurion, Cornelius, to him and Peter then realizes the meaning of the vision:

Peter addressed Cornelius and his household: ‘The truth I have now come to realize’ he said ‘is that God does not have favorites, but that anybody of any nationality who fears God and does what is right is acceptable to him.  Act 10: 34-35

How truly freeing that is!! God does not want to heap burdens on our backs that are impossible to carry.  He wants us to live in Love.

 God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, rich in kindness and relenting in punishment. Joel 2:13

I think this is one of the main messages of Christ--mercy and forgiveness for all, from all.

Jesus admonished the "scholars of the law" because they impose on people burdens that are hard to carry but don't lift a finger to help them. (Luke 11:46)  Instead, Jesus long(s) to gather (His) children under (His) wings. (Matthew 23:37)

Sometimes, we must let go of old ideas and listen to God's cry for Love. Our God came and conquered death, not with military might, but as a poor helpless infant and as a peaceful enemy of the state, sentenced to death.

He lived Love. He preached Love. He *is* Love.

John draws an obvious parallel in this weekend's Gospel between Jesus and Wisdom from Ecclesiasticus.

In the first reading, the Old Testament writer tells us that  Wisdom speaks her own praises, in the midst of her people, she glorifies in herself.

God told Wisdom to pitch your tent in Jacob, make Israel your inheritance and Wisdom says that in the beginning He created me, for eternity, I shall remain.

At the start of his Gospel, John tells us

In the beginning was the Word:
and the Word was with God
and the Word was God.


The Word was made flesh,
and pitched his tent among us,
and we saw his glory.

Ecclesiasticus, by the way, is one of the so-called "apocryphal" books of the Bible, that were removed by Protestant groups after the Reformation because they include such teachings as praying for deceased persons.  It is also objected to because they believe that Jesus and the disciples do not quote from those books, but as we have seen, that is obviously false.

Ecclesiasticus is also called Sirach or The Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach, or The Wisdom of Sirach,
not to be confused with either Ecclesiastes or The Book of Wisdom.

If you have a Catholic Bible, peruse Ecclesiasticus and partake of its wisdom.

The illustration, above, is a portion of Ecclesiasticus in Hebrew.

Sunday's first reading is from the seventh chapter of Isaiah when he prophesies about the coming of Christ.

The Lord himself, therefore,
will give you a sign.
It is this: the maiden is with child
and will soon give birth to a son
whom she will call Immanuel,
a name which means “God-is-with-us."

I was struck, when I read it, with the everyday-ness of the text. The sign from Heaven is a maiden giving birth to a son--a common occurrence every day.

Isaiah says His name will be Immanuel, meaning God is with us.

Jesus proclaimed that The Kingdom of God is within you--the Kingdom of God is at hand. This is the message of the Messiah. No more waiting. No more striving after things that do not satisfy.

Jesus was born of a simple maiden in a feeding trough. He is our food. That is the Good News.

God is with us.

When I was reading the Gospel for this Sunday, I realized something I hadn't before.

Jesus is answering a question put to him by John the Baptist's disciples.  They ask him if he is "the one to come, or shall we look for another."   Here is His answer:

Go and tell John what you see and hear.
The blind regain their sight,
lepers are cleansed,
the deaf hear,
the dead are raised
and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them.
 ~Matthew 11

I never realized before that Christ puts hearing the good news on par with being cured of leprosy, or deafness.  There are so many times in our lives when we wonder why we have not been healed, or why a loved one was not healed.

It seems that Jesus tells us here that hearing the good news, which was the Kingdom of God is among you *is* being healed on par with being cured of a physical illness.

The purpose of Jesus' healing ministry was not to heal everyone who needed physical healing.  His physical healing ministry was born, of course, out of His deep compassion for all he encountered, but also, it was to fulfill the ancient prophecy of Isaiah (which is this Sunday's first reading):

The eyes of the blind shall be opened
the ears of the deaf unstopped.
The lame will leap like a stag
and the tongue of the mute shall sing.
~Isaiah 35

and to show the world that the Messiah had come.

Even John the Baptist seemed perplexed that Jesus, perhaps, was not fitting his preconceived notion of what the Messiah would be.  Many in Israel expected Him to be powerful in a  political sense.  But Jesus was called, and calls us, to something much deeper than political "freedom" or physical healing.  He calls us to a deep oneness with the Father.

This Sunday's readings from Isaiah and Matthew are about acting with a bold integrity. Isaiah tells us the Messiah will possess certain characteristics.

He does not judge by appearances,

he gives no verdict on hearsay,

but judges the wretched with integrity,

and with equity gives a verdict for the poor of the land.

His word is a rod that strikes the ruthless,

his sentences bring death to the wicked.

Integrity is the loincloth round his waist,

faithfulness the belt about his hips.

In the same reading, he tells us that

The wolf will live with the lamb,

the panther lies down with the kid,

calf and lion feed together,

with a little child to lead them.

God judges with integrity and wants us to do the same.  The only way Isaiah's prophesy of peace can be fulfilled is if we begin acting as Jesus did.  Jesus was constantly challenging the religious power structure of his day to act with integrity.  Intriguingly, he did nothing about the Roman occupation, telling people instead to "give to Cesar what is Cesar's and give to God what is God's". Money and temporal things all belong to Cesar and are not to be hoarded or worried about.

But, if you profess to be a believer in the Father, then your values must always come into play and be consistent, no matter who you may be dealing with--friends, family, employers, believers, those in power and those who are powerless.Sometimes this involves challenging those in power over you in order to maintain your own integrity.

Human dignity comes first.  Jesus healed on the Sabbath and remonstrated with those who thought that following the rule against work on that day was the most important thing. His disciples gathered wheat to eat on the Sabbath.  Jesus was more concerned with their hunger than with blind obedience to the law.
Laws and customs that came from a place of hospitality, though, were to be followed. He challenged the Pharisee when he failed to wash Jesus' feet during a visit to his home.  This Middle Eastern custom was a sign of respect and hospitality to a guest who had walked a long way in the dust and heat.

Jesus' task was to get us to think outside the box of blindly following after authority with no thought for each other.  Far from a faith of ignorant sheep, ours is a faith of thinking, loving human beings bringing the Kingdom of God to each other.

This shall be a sign unto you.  You will find the baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a feeding trough.  ~Luke 2:12

The sign of Christ's coming was our Savior lying in a feeding trough.  He is our food.  We are to hunger and thirst after righteousness, Jesus tells us in the Beatitudes.  We are to hunger and thirst after HIM.

In the East, the feast of Christmas is preceded by the Nativity Fast.  Abstinence from meat,  dairy and eggs occurs from November 15th (in some churches December 10) until December 24th. Fish is allowed.  From the 13th until the 24th, fish, olive oil and wine are added to the list of foods that are fasted from.

The idea in the East is not to worry overmuch about incurring a penalty of sin, but to encourage us to use Christ's three-fold method of prayer, fasting and almsgiving to help us draw closer to the Lord and to anticipate and be able to fully rejoice in His coming.

The time of conspicuous consumption which arrives for believers and non-believers alike, and all but replaces the Holy Season now begins at the same time we are being asked to remember the Holy Souls in early November.  When the Church is calling us to more fervent prayer and a awareness of our own mortality, the world temps us from all sides to mortgage both our finances and our souls in a futile attempt to drown out the poverty in our own innermost selves.

Fasting from spending, fasting from overindulgence in food, and fasting from meaningless pursuits as a way to focus our hearts on the eternal is more important now than ever in the 2000 year history of Christianity.  Our Lord in his infinite wisdom, has given us ample spiritual food for these challenging times.

The sign is our Savior waiting for us in a feeding trough.

Therefore, let us keep the feast. 
~1 Corrinthians 5:8

Oh Lord,
my heart is not proud
nor haughty my eyes
I have not gone after
things too great
nor marvels beyond me.


Truly I have set my soul
in silence
and peace.
As a child rests
in its mother's arms
even so
my soul.


~Psalm 131

The scripture  from psalm 131 is from today's office of readings.  It tells us the biblical secret to inner peace.  It is best to be able to look realistically at life and the world and rest in God's arms as in a loving mother's.  As my dear husband reminds me, "grow into your limitations."  Sometimes we can not do it all alone.  That's ok.  Rest in God and let Him take control.

Sunday's first reading is taken from the book of Malachi.

Its haunting fire image is juxtaposed by the specific affects it will have on both the just and the unjust. 

Lo, the day is coming,
blazing like an oven,
when all the proud
and all evildoers
will be stubble,
and the day that is coming will set them
on fire,
leaving them neither root nor branch,
says the LORD of hosts.


But for you who fear my name,
there will arise
the sun of justice
with its healing rays.

The idea that a kind of fire can have a destroying and healing affect on two different groups of people is seen in the Eastern Christian theology concerning the afterlife.  The idea is that both the just and the unjust will be in the Presence of God after they die.  The difference is that God's burning Love will be torture to those who do not love Him, and healing to those who do.