July 19, 2022
Reflection
COME APART
OR
COME APART
A few years ago, I gave a Saturday morning time of retreat to some religion catechists.
I like to come up with as theme. So since we were coming apart to do this. Since we were leaving a part of ourselves at home - and bringing a part of ourselves to a quiet place - a church basement - the gospel scene of Jesus escaping to a deserted place hit me.
I don't know what the new translation is - but the old one uses the words, "Come apart to a deserted place."
I also like to come up with a catchy title - so the words and theme, "Come Apart or Come Apart" hit me.
We need time at different times in our life to catch up with ourselves.
We need time to escape from times and its pressures - and commitments - as well as the people and the places that pull us.
We are like a parent in a car on a long trip and three kids are pulling and pushing each other - and us. One is saying, "He hit me." Another is saying, "She's sulking." Another is yelling, "He took my crayons." Another says, "Where are we going?" Another whines, "When are we going to get there."
Scream!
We want to stop the car right then and right there and yell, "Time out."
We want to scream, "Shut up."
We want to say, "At the next stop I'm leaving you."
We can't wait till they grow up.
We want to get into a quiet place - before we come apart.
We want to put all our pulls and pushes, screams and squirms, into a big plastic bag and dump them into the next dumpster we see on the side of the road.
Come apart - before - we come apart.
July 18, 2022
Reflection
What is common prayer?
I guess it's praying together.
Is it ever done when and where the community is so one that it forgets itself and becomes one with God?
Gregorian Chant - Taize singing - or Rock Concert - are these moments when the crowd is so one that it is in the image and likeness of God?
Or is the opposite reality the image of God? When we broken people are trying to pray and our voices are off key - strident - not together - and at varying speeds?
Is it when people are broken, stubborn, strident that we are God - the God of broken tablets of stone - of broken heart - of God on the cross.
To enjoy eggs the shell is cracked and poured out onto the frying pan - fried eggs or scrambled eggs - or eggs in hot water - and then after the breaking and being burnt - the broken shells and the scramble, they give off the Eucharistic words, "Take and eat!"?
I write this in the crumminess of our common prayer. It's horrendous. I've been here before.
I guess my ego has to be broken, scrambled, burnt. I guess I need to have my shell removed.
Is Eucharist here too?
Take and eat.
This is my body broken for you - while I want to blame others and say, "This is my body, being broken with you."
Amen.
JULY 17, 2022
Reflection
WON'T BUDGE
"Budge" is an interesting word - but what does it really mean?
Not having a dictionary on hand, I'd guess it means "move".
We hear comments like, "You can't budge her." or "He won't budge an inch."
But it has negative overtones or connotations. As in stuck .... As in stubborn .... As in wrong .... As in being a pain....
Budge....
But's it's mainly in the context of the other guy or gal - never ourselves.
Well, not never ourselves ....As we think about issues, we have to see things we won't change our opinions on: spitting, criticism of someone's mother in public, lifting the embrgo on some place, capital punishment, etc.
Budge ....
It's a word that has some good connotations in it as well - now that I think about it - so see I can budge. I didn't begin this reflection with any positive thoughts about this word "budge".
So I'll have to write a poem or some short piece using the word "budge" in it. I could bring into a poem or poetic piece words like "bridge" or "bud" or "breakthrough" or "blossom" or maybe even the word "burn".
Oops - even more - budge can give hints of resurrection - which brings up the question of death.
Who is going to move the stone?
Maybe if I stop throwing stones at those I don't like - or those I think dead - or at those I don't think will budge - maybe they will budge.
Is that the way this works?
