Maturity in our relationships

Spiritual person learns to be awake

Courage to overcome ego

Calculating life with humility

A Way which is counter to conventional wisdom

Contradiction and concerns in daily life

Searching for truth

Clean dishes and contradiction

Authentic sacred devotion effects Christian action

How many is not the question

Humble exalted

Love the ancient and modern God

Grace gives the Spirit

We contemplate work with the Shepherd

Community wealth defeats arrogance

Assumption and Mary leads to much contemplation of Presence

Family division and internal tension

The prophet, the poet, the priest and children

"I do" is yes to Covenant relationship

Seeing and believing

Giving of self for full life

Seek to end the separation

Dominic and Francis and prudent ways

Opposition and trust

A Gift that gives encouragement

See God in solitude not vengeance

Seeing God in others

The experience of God is universal

On top of the waves

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite consideration of the attitude we adopt when we present ourselves as being on top of the world. This attitude is often one fueled by our ego and bravado. The Prophet Jeremiah describes how the failure of the people Judah to rely on God instead of human political manipulation brings destruction and exile. However the Prophet points to the renewal of the Davidic dynasty on the eschatological “day of the Lord.” when mercy and forgiveness of God is experienced by the people. In the Gospel from Matthew, the bluster and impetuousness of Peter as he steps out of the boat meets fear of the unknown as his faith falters and Jesus restores him to safety in the boat. The faith of Peter grew in the humility of sinking is an irony for us to ponder.

Our tendency to be self centered

The prophet Jeremiah denounces the prophet Hananiah as one not sent by God. Hananiah raised false confidence in the people. That same year, Hananiah the prophet died. The multiplication of the loaves and fishes by Jesus in response to the needs of the people to be fed is a passage in Matthew’s Gospel which underlines the seeking of the people for spiritual nourishment as they follow Jesus to the deserted place where He had gone in response to the death of John the Baptist. The perfect meal, 5 loaves and 2 fish, of 7 components is distributed to the crowd and the uneaten food fills twelve baskets as more than enough to fill the 12 tribes of Israel. The actions which we take to advance our own power and authority are building our ego and our tendency to be self centered. The participation in life which we have been graced to share with friends and family may encounter difficulties arising from self serving motives. Our home with Christ is the place, sometimes remote, where our spiritual needs are fed and we are reaffirmed that Providence will see that we have what we need to live with all our family.