tuesday, january 25, 2011

The memorial of St. Paul's conversion. Wow! Didn't know we had a day for that. but cool! Got knocked off the horse and had the original "Come to Jesus" meeting. Then, he made an about face and he couldn't be shut up! I love Paul!!! He's probably one of those guys you'd meet and think.. take a chill pill man! but look what he did! He wrote so many letters that make up more than half of the New Testament. Anyway, I'm not sure this is his day.. now that I think about it. but it was recently. Today I heard from three different young women talking about their experiences as young Catholic women... and their work to live out the faith as they know it. I was so proud of them! Articulate, passionate, living in that space that holds on to the faith but doubts and questions and challenges the institution. What they shared among other things: that young Catholics don't consider attending mass the hallmark of their faith. For most, they seek a connection between the faith and their lives. For most, service, community, social justice are the key elements of their faith lives. One 20 Something exhorted our assembly to be hospitable and to welcome and to be curious about others journeys. Music to my ears!!! Yes, catholic means universal.. and Catholic doesn't mean check your brain at the door (as my ex Jesuit professor once said) but means a whole lot more.. and there are many questions that need asking and pondering and answers to articulate oh so carefully. It is too precious to be misunderstood. Thank you to our guest speakers Jen, Helena and Katie.. and their book From the Pews in the Back.

sunday, january 23, 2011

Life! in abundance!! Pete and I made the trek out to one of our favorite places today. Pt. Reyes National Seashore. We hiked out to Abbot's Lagoon which leads to the Pacific Ocean. On our way, we saw this heron sitting next this water... he was absolutely still and so easy to photograph, but because the water was also still we got a mirror image of him as well. There was a stillness to the air too.. We saw cows on our walk but not a lot of other birds. Some blackbirds and a few seabirds along the waters edge. It was unseasonably warm, calm, windless, and serene. I am blown away at the beauty of creation!!! Glory to God in the highest and peace to his people on earth.

January 19, 2011 Wednesday

In today's reading Jesus reached out to a man with a withered hand. The church authorities were watching him to see if he would heal on the Sabbath. I learned rather recently that in Jesus' time the belief was that people suffered afflictions as a result of someone's sin... maybe their father's? So physical disability was the consequence and a sign of sin. Jesus sought to liberate and heal.. and I wonder how he did it? we attribute miracles to him, but I wonder if the miracle was simply his presence, his reaching out, his love for them. That IS a miracle in a community where certain of its members are marginalized. To step over the customary boundaries, the usual lines we don't dare cross, and see God in another. This is why people love Jesus! because he loved them first! He looked at them and saw a brother, a sister. Today, I am going to cast my gaze upon that scene of Jesus reaching out to the man with the withered hand, and try focusing on all the parts of the scene: Jesus, his posture, his movement, the man who seeks Jesus, his hand, his heart.

st. anthony memorial, January 17, 2011

John Francis Hayes- 1993
One of the reasons I need to pray? To keep from relying on my own limited understanding of things. How many times have I thought I understood something, usually simply based on my intuitive understanding, and then discovered that I was missing some important facts But! for my mind's sake, I fill in the blanks, in order to neatly tie some knots, wrap up beautifully in paper and ribbon, the story so that I can live with it. So, in praying I can better live "in faith" , in suspension as I can not know all about all and can trust that there is a greater power at work while I do what I am supposed to be doing. Ugh. What a lesson! Maybe this is the way I can be brave today! Take a leap!

one brave thing

Pete likes to ask the question: what are you afraid of? from one scaredy cat to another! that is, he to me! anyway, today I asked him: what brave thing did you do today? I made a call yesterday to a woman I hardly know to propose an idea that would involve her... it was brave of me! I had this idea to form a small group of women interested in sharing their stories and looking for God in the midst of those stories.. I guess it's sorta like group spiritual direction. My belief is that when people tell their stories they are better able to see God in their lives. The benefit of that is: God is dying to love us.. and sometimes it is easy for us to miss it! I've found myself speaking about things and hearing myself say out loud what has happened I suddenly realize , omigosh, look what love God poured out on me!! and I didn't recognize it til this very moment. Then, the tears come and the gulp, and I know: that is God. Atleast for some, this is a helpful tool... telling ones story and unearthing the pearls in the middle of it all. One of the critical elements of this kind of spiritual direction is that those who are listening.. are only listening. They are not advising, commenting, applauding, criticizing. They hold the story teller and her story with love... only then can the still small voice be heard in the midst of the life revealed. I'll be paying attention to the promptings of that voice in the next while.. and see what makes it way through the noise. (writing this blog serves a similar purpose for me... so thanks for listening, oh so quietly. Wink.)

January 8, 2011

The Lord takes delight in his people. from Psalm 149.

My mother sent me a new standing angel for my nativity set. I already possess a hovering angel which I suspend near the baby Jesus with a piece of thread. Oh, my standing angel is a thing of beauty. She has golden wings, and wears a peach colored robe with a green/blue pinafore and then she has her arms open with a white stole wrapped around her and over one arm.. she looks like she's ready for action. She has peachy colored hair with a gold headband and as I said she stands ready to act. She is now part of our Fontanini nativity set and she is a welcome addition! This angel doesn't belong to the hovering airy fairy angels. She is one who means business... is ready to help address real human needs. Her story, which comes in her Fontanini box, says that she helped Mary through her journey to Bethlehem, tucking her robe around her when the weather turned cold. This angel doesn't have a name.. she's just "Standing Angel"... ready and eager to help. In thanksgiving for all of our angels, especially the ones who stand ready to help us.

january 5, 2011

It's my father's birthday and he's 77 years young. and he is young. Also, noteworthy, in my mind is the fact that I believe he's the very same person he was when he was born 77 years ago.. to a young 21 year old mother. her one and only baby as it turned out. He is as certain now as he was then that he is the most adorable fellow and he considers himself very lucky... his nickname in college was "Lucky Riegel". He wasn't even Irish! but he married one, much to the dismay of his relatives. Oh well. I keep hearing of stories where the families have disapproved of their child's choice for life partner. I guess it's an age old story. Anyway, I'm digressing. 77 Sunset Strip, Daddy says. No longer 76 Trombones. What to make of a father who's 77 years in the flesh? I can't believe it.. In my mind, he is about 45 maybe. and I think he always will be. He'll always have the same soft ears and merry eyes. He'll always have the same flat feet and firm and friendly handshake and solid hug. I know I'm lucky to still have him around. It would even better if he lived closer than a 2 1/2 day drive away ...Happy Birthday, Robert Witherspoon Riegel. I hear that your mother had a rough time raising you, but that you think she enjoyed it? Hah! Great birthday card this year! Cheers!

January 3, 2010

Today is the Monday after the feast of the Epiphany:

from Matthew's gospel:

"From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say,
“Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

He went around all of Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the Gospel of the Kingdom,
and curing every disease and illness among the people.
His fame spread to all of Syria,
and they brought to him all who were sick with various diseases
and racked with pain,
those who were possessed, lunatics, and paralytics,
and he cured them.
And great crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, and Judea,
and from beyond the Jordan followed him."

Even if you don't believe that Jesus is God, this story handed down to us about this man is my idea of a true hero. I don't know of anyone else who has had these things said of him or her. The celebrities in our world have lots of things said about them, but I don't know of any who had such a positive, healing effect ... How did he do it? I've had a few encounters with individuals whose very presence, their very being provided this all encompasssing salve for my scaredy cat heart or psyche. I wonder if they were aware that energy flowed out of them when I experienced their power. The things that seems true of them all is that they seemed to have a deep reservoir of love... that may have once known great pain and they took that pain and it was turned into gold by a greater source of power... I will take the pain I perceive in the world and then feel, and I will take it to Jesus, who suffered for love of all... and ask him to bless the depths.