I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking: "My name is I am." I waited and God continued: "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I will be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard.
I am here. My name is I AM."
Helen Mellincost
(Let go of concerns about the past and the future and open to the God of Love, present in this moment.)
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GN 17:3-9; Ps 105:4-5, 6-7, 8-9
JN 8:51-59
Jesus said to the Jews:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever keeps my word will never see death.”
So the Jews said to him,
“Now we are sure that you are possessed.
Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say,
‘Whoever keeps my word will never taste death.’
Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died?
Or the prophets, who died?
Who do you make yourself out to be?”
Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is worth nothing;
but it is my Father who glorifies me,
of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’
You do not know him, but I know him.
And if I should say that I do not know him,
I would be like you a liar.
But I do know him and I keep his word.
Abraham your father rejoiced to see my day;
he saw it and was glad.”
So the Jews said to him,
“You are not yet fifty years old and you have seen Abraham?”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
before Abraham came to be, I AM.”
So they picked up stones to throw at him;
but Jesus hid and went out of the temple area.
Reflection on the Scriptures |
It is ironic that our world is being hit with COVID19 during the Lenten season. Social distancing is what we are being urged by health experts. We are being told to avoid large gathering, to work from home, and almost all businesses are closed except grocery stores. Is this extraordinary time an invitation from God to review our response to the final covenant that Jesus
represents? Can we take this unexpected ‘time out” to reflect on how we could model Jesus’ generosity? To love as Jesus did…to do what we can, where we can? None of us can solve the mess we are in, but surely, we all can do something to reduce the misery we see.
I have been heartened by the rookie NBA basketball player from New Orleans who stepped up to pay the wages of the arena workers who were thrown out of work when the NBA cancelled its season. His generosity spurned other NBA players and owners to do the same thing. My neighborhood has a listserv where people are asking for help and neighbors are
responding.
Could this be our moment? The time to renew God’s final covenant? Can we move away from war and violence? Can we create societies where all people have the opportunity to thrive? Often, I am called a dreamer, but right now we have some unexpected opportunities and I am hoping we will use this time to come together and work to create God’s kingdom in our
communities and the world. As followers of Jesus we know there is a better way. Following Jesus’ example will take lots of prayer and courage, but isn’t that what Lent is about?
- by Julie Kalkowski
Revelations of Divine Love
- by Julian of Norwich
Sixteenth Revelation, Chapter 73
Two manners of sickness that we have: impatience, or sloth;—despair, or mistrustful dread
All the blessed teaching of our Lord was shewed by three parts: that is to say, by bodily sight, and by word formed in mine understanding, and by spiritual sight. For the bodily sight, I have said as I saw, as truly as I can; and for the words, I have said them right as our Lord shewed them to me; and for the spiritual sight, I have told some deal, but I may never fully tell it: and therefore of this sight I
am stirred to say more, as God will give me grace.
God shewed two manners of sickness that we have: the one is impatience, or sloth: for we bear our travail and our pains heavily; the other is despair, or doubtful dread, which I shall speak of after. Generally, He shewed sin, wherein that all is comprehended, but in special He shewed only these two. And these two are they that most do travail and tempest us, according to that which our Lord shewed me; and of
them He would have us be amended. I speak of such men and women as for God's love hate sin and dispose themselves to do God's will: then by our spiritual blindness and bodily heaviness we are most inclining to these. And therefore it is God's will that they be known, for then we shall refuse them as we do other sins.
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